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THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA 





















c/ 

y 

HISTORY 


OUR COUNTRY 


BY 

J&' 

EDWARD S^ELLIS, A.M. 


AUTHOR OF “ THE PEOPLE’S STANDARD HISTORY OF THE UNITED 
STATES,” “ A HISTORY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,” 

“ COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING AND 
SPEAKING,” ETC. 


♦ 

* » 

> > > 


BOSTON 

LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS . 



MAR M4‘ 

■ . 4 I 






t* 


3 


CA 


COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY Lee AND SHEPARD 


All Rights Reserved 


History of Our Country 


/ 




*} ^ 


Korbjooti IjJress 

J. S. Cushing & Co. - Berwick & Smith 
Norwood Mass. IJ.S.A. 






INTRODUCTION 


T will be admitted that the history of no other 
country possesses so absorbing interest as our 
own. Although a New World, with no antiquity 
of government, science, or art, it presents the 
fruitage of the centuries of the Old World. 
Builded on the lessons and experiences of the 
ages, its fabric is one of marvellous strength, 
endurance, and wisdom. 

In its infancy it was hardened and made rugged by storm, by 
trial, by privation, and by suffering. The rigors of an unfriendly 
climate, the enmity of savages, the obstacle of vast primeval for¬ 
ests, and the choice between perishing from the earth or hewing 
the road to success, developed the highest form of mental and 
bodily vigor. Slavery in the Old World taught the blessings of 
liberty in the New, and our forefathers laid the foundations broad 
and deep and strong and sure. The Revolution brought the 
nation into existence and gave it a sisterhood among the peoples 
of the earth. The War of 1812 was necessary to gain and hold 
the respect of all countries, and the Civil War cemented and uni¬ 
fied the house once divided against itself. Beneath the furnace 
blast we underwent the “pangs of transformation,” and came 
forth purified by fire. 

In this broad, appreciative spirit all children should study the 
history of our country. Its most impressive lesson will be lost on 
those who read it as a mere story, without an understanding of the 
meaning of historical movements and events. 

Why did the Pilgrims leave their native land to plant their 
homes in the dismal solitudes of New England? Why did the 
Cavaliers settle in Virginia? What caused our forefathers to sever 
their allegiance to Great Britain, and undergo poverty, hunger, 



VI 


INTRODUCTION 


cold, heat, storm, hardship, and suffering unto death? What led 
to the establishment of the Constitution, the most perfect form of 
government ever framed for man? What brought about the War 
of 1812, that with Mexico, and the tremendous struggle for the 
preservation of the Union ? Why are Americans the bravest men, 
and the most successful of inventors, explorers, authors, and 
scientists? In short, why is the United States the greatest nation 
of history ? 

To the intelligent teacher these questions convey their own 
answers, and the hints thus given suggest the true method of 
studying history. The subject naturally divides itself into periods, 
which should be mastered in all their details and in the full extent 
of their meaning. A list of topics is given at the close of each 
chapter, which the teacher should expand and supplement with 
others that will readily suggest themselves. The pupils should be 
required, upon reaching the close of each period, to construct a 
“ skeleton history,” on the plan of the model suggested, and 
finally to put together a complete skeleton history of the United 
States from the discovery of America to the present time. 

Every American must be interested in the men who had most 
to do with making our history, yet the rule has been to give very 
little and sometimes no information at all concerning them. What 
boy or girl does not desire to know more about Nathanael Greene, 
the “ Quaker General,” “ Old Put,” the hero of so many stirring 
adventures, Baron Steuben, the grim veteran from Prussia, Marion, 
the “ Swamp Fox,” Franklin, the philosopher, Fulton, who intro¬ 
duced steamboat navigation, Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, 
Webster, the orator, and scores of other statesmen, warriors, and 
great men who helped to build our nation? We have, therefore, 
added at the close of each chapter — beginning with the Revolu¬ 
tionary period — brief biographical sketches of the men who 
figure most prominently in the incidents of the chapter itself. 
These contain information with which each pupil should make 
himself familiar, and which cannot fail to incite him to delve 
deeper in the rich historical mines of his native land. 


CONTENTS 


Part I 

THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Earliest Discoverers of America i 

II. The Birth of Columbus, and his Long Struggle to se¬ 
cure Aid in sailing on his Voyage of Discovery . 7 

III. The Great Discovery. 11 

IV. Explorations in America. 19 

Part II 

THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 

V. The Colonial History of Virginia . . . . *36 

VI. The Colonial History of New York 53 

VII. The Colonial History of New England .... 62 

VIII. The Colonial History of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 

and Delaware .84 

IX. The Colonial History of Maryland, the Carolinas, 

and Georgia.92 

X. The French and Indian War. 100 

XI. Home Life in the Colonies . . . . . .115 

Part III 

THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 

XII. Opening of the Revolution. 123 

XIII. Events of 1776.14 1 

XIV. Events of 1777.. . 155 

XV. Events of 1778.167 

vii 








CONTENTS 


viii 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XVI. Events of 1779.176 

XVII. Events of 1780.182 

XVIII. Events of 1781.193 

Part IV 

THE PERIOD OF FORMATION AND GROWTH 

. XIX. Formation of the Government . . . . ' . 207 

XX. Washington’s Administrations.—1789-1797 . . 213 

XXI. John Adams’s Administration. — 1797-1801 . . 221 

XXII. Jefferson’s Administrations. —1801-1809 . . . 226 

XXIII. Madison’s Administrations. —1809-1817 . . . 235 

XXIV. Monroe’s Administrations. —1817-1825 . . . 261 

XXV. John Quincy Adams’s Administration. — 1825-1829 . 267 

XXVI. Jackson’s Administrations. —1829-1837 . . .271 

XXVII. Van Buren’s Administration.— 1837-1841 . . .281 

XXVIII. Harrison and*Tyler’s Administrations.— 1841-1845. 284 

XXIX. Polk’s Administration.—1845-1849 .... 292 

XXX. Taylor and Fillmore’s Administrations.—1849-1853 299 

XXXI. Pierce’s Administration. — 1853-1857 .... 303 

XXXII. Buchanan’s Administration. —1857-1861 . . . 309 

Part V 

THE PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR THE UNION 

XXXIII. Lincoln’s Administration.—1861-1865. Events of 

1861.v. 317 

XXXIV. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ). 

Events of 1862.329 

XXXV. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ). 

Events of 1863.344 

XXXVI. Lincoln’s Administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ). 

Events of 1864 . . . . . . . 358 

XXXVII. Lincoln’s Administration. — 1861-1865 { concluded '). 

Events of 1865.368 






CONTENTS ix 

Part VI 

THE PERIOD OF REUNION AND PROGRESS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XXXVIII. Johnson’s Administration. — 1865-1869 . . . 387 

XXXIX. Grant’s Administrations. — 1869-1877. . . . 392 

XL. Hayes’s Administration. — 1877-1881 .... 403 
XLI. Garfield and Arthur’s Administrations.— 1881-1885 406 
XLII. Cleveland’s First Administration. — 1885-1889. . 411 

XLIII. Harrison’s Administration. —1889-1893 . . . 413 

XLIV. Cleveland’s Second Administration. — 1893-1897 . 420 

XLV. McKinley’s Administration.. —1897- .... 432 


Appendix.441 

Chronological Summary of Events.460 

Index.471 







































































4 








» 





















A 


HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


^» J ,c 


Part I 

THE PERIOD OF DISCOVERY AND EXPLORATION 


CHAPTER I 

THE EARLIEST DISCOVERERS OF AMERICA 

IHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, although honored 
as the discoverer of America, was not the first 
white man to visit the shores of the New World. 
Hundreds of years before he was born, the 
daring sailors of Norway and Sweden, who 
were called Norsemen, or Northmen, because 
their home was in the northern part of Europe, 
steered their vessels across the stormy Atlantic 
and caught sight of the American continent, and even landed, 
more than once. 

Naddod, one of those sea-rovers, was caught in a tempest in 
the year 860 and driven upon the coast of Iceland. He called it 
Snowland, and left as soon as he could. Four years afterward 
another Norseman visited the island and took away so pleasing an 
account that a settlement was made, but it did not last long. The 
colonists returned home dissatisfied with the country. Ten years 
later another settlement was planted, and lasted hundreds of years. 



2 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The Icelander known as Eric the Red quarrelled with some of 
the settlers and sailed to Gunnibiorn’s Rocks, in Greenland, where 
he made his home. He called the cold, bleak country Green¬ 
land, and told such a glowing story about it that a good many 
Icelanders joined him on his return. So far as known, the sons 
of Eric the Red were the first white men that set foot on the 
mainland of America. 

The eldest of these sons was Lief, afterwards known as Lief the 
Lucky. In the year 1000, he sailed southward, with a crew of 



LANDING OF THE NORSEMEN 


thirty-five men, from the Greenland colony. The first land they 
saw is believed to have been Newfoundland. There they went 
ashore, spent a short time in looking around, and then sailed, as 
is thought, to Nova Scotia. Still steering southward, they finally 
caught sight of New England. They were amazed and delighted 
by the quantities of luscious grapes which they found. Lief named 
the country Vinland, and, when he finally set out on his return, he 
carried a great deal of the fruit, and specimens of the fine timber 
to show to his friends. It is not known where Lief and his men 





THE EARLIEST DISCOVERERS OF AMERICA 3 

landed, but is believed to have been in Rhode Island and probably 
on Narragansett Bay. 

Eric the Red had another son, named Thorvald. He was a 
brave sailor and was eager to see the new country. Lief helped 
him to get ready, and in 1003 he sailed with thirty men. He 
found the spot visited by his elder brother, and the company spent 
the winter in hunting and fishing. They left no record of having 



MEETING OF NORSEMEN AND INDIANS 


seen a single native in all that time. In the spring, a party ex¬ 
plored the coast of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long Island. 
It is thought that they entered the harbor of New York. How 
different the scene that greeted them from that of to-day, for not 
even the smoke of a wigwam, nor a living being besides themselves, 
was visible. 

In the spring of 1004, Thorvald, while sailing along the coast of 







4 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Cape Cod, was driven on the beach by a tempest. The ships were 
mended, and, liking the appearance of a certain spot on Massa¬ 
chusetts Bay, they dropped anchor and went ashore. 

There, for the first time, they saw some natives. Nine of them 
were lying on the ground, under a rude tent, with no fear of 
danger. Why should any one wish to harm them? Yet hardly 
had the Norsemen discovered the innocent people, than they stole 
upon them and killed all except one. He managed to elude their 
heavy swords and dashed off into the woods. 

But the victors suffered for their wickedness. The native that 
escaped carried the news to his friends, who determined to slay 
the dreadful beings that had invaded their home. They rushed 
upon them from all sides and attacked them with such spirit that 
the Norsemen had to retreat to their vessel, fighting as they went. 
The weapons of the natives were so weak, gompared with those 
of the white men, that only one of the latter was killed. He 
was Thorvald, whose breast was pierced so deeply by an arrow 
that he died. He was buried near the shore, and the survivors 
sailed to Vinland. The next spring, the colony returned to 
Greenland. 

An expedition left Greenland in the spring of 1007, including 
more than a hundred men and women. They spent the first 
winter, it is supposed, on the shores of Buzzard’s Bay. They 
suffered for food, and many quarrels took place. A number of 
deserters were cast ashore at Iceland and punished by being re¬ 
duced to slavery. The others, after much hardship, sailed away 
in 1010. A new expedition, however, was formed in the following 
spring, but that, too, was broken up by wrangles, and those that 
survived returned to Greenland. 

America lost to the Old World. — This ends the history of the 
Norsemen so far as it affects the New World. They had discovered 
and tried to colonize it but failed in every instance. The settle¬ 
ment in Greenland perished so utterly that hardly a trace remains. 
That vast body of land reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 
and from the Arctic to the Antarctic Ocean, lay forsaken and un- 



THE EARLIEST DISCOVERERS OF AMERICA 


known to Europe for hundreds of years. The waves that rolled 
against its shores brought the sail of no vessel from the far-away 
lands. The dusky warrior peering out from the bleak woods of 
New England, or from the sandy wastes of the Carolinas, or the 
lowlands of Florida, or the curving coast of Brazil, saw no strange 
vessel bringing the 
palefaces to in¬ 
vade his hunting 
grounds. Nor, 
along the immense 
line to the west¬ 
ward of the Andes, 
nor up the Pacific 
coast of North 
America to the 
fogs of Alaska, 
could the keen 
eyes discern any¬ 
thing besides their 
own tiny canoes, 
darting in and out 
among the head¬ 
lands and inlets, 
as they scanned 
the surface of the 
mightiest ocean on 
the globe. 

Legends of Other Discoverers of the New World. — Besides the 
discoveries of the Norsemen, there are legends of still earlier visits 
to the New World. A Mexican historian claims that a party of 
Buddhist monks from China discovered the country in the fifth 
century, and the official history of China gives credence to the 
account. Still other traditions speak of a visit by a party of 
Arabian sailors in the twelfth century, and also of the discovery 
of the country, many years later, by Madoc, a Welsh chieftain. 










6 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


All this, however, is so vague and shadowy, that we must give it 
little credit, until stronger proof appears. 

Time rolled on, and America, once discovered and lost again, 
lay wrapped in the gloom of loneliness and desolation. Silence 
brooded over the forests and rivers and mountains, and the surges 
beat against the shores while the centuries came and went, until, 
in the fulness of time, the man was born and the hour came for 
the true discovery of America. 

TOPICS.— The first visitors to the New World; the Norsemen; Naddod; 
Eric the Red; Lief the Lucky; Ihorvald; his death; the expedition of 1007; 
the last of the Norsemen in the New World; America lost to the Old World; 
the legends of earlier discoveries than those by the Norsemen. 



THE WORLD IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY 













CHAPTER II 


THE BIRTH OF COLUMBUS AND HIS LONG STRUGGLE TO SE¬ 
CURE AID IN SAILING ON HIS VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY 

IRTH of Columbus.—While there is a variation 
of twenty years among the biographers of 
Columbus, in the date of his birth, all agree 
that it took place at Genoa (jen'o-a), Italy. 
The majority make the year 1435 or 1436. 
His father was a wool-weaver. Columbus 
was the eldest of four sons, who, with the 
single daughter, were probably born under the 
same humble roof in Genoa. 

Boyhood of Columbus. — We have no reliable knowledge of the 
boyhood and early life of Columbus. His education was gained 
mostly in the local schools of Genoa. He was a good penman 
and possessed skill in drawing. There came a time, in after years, 
when he supported his family by drawing maps. It is claimed 
that he studied awhile and taught at the University of Pavia. A 
drawing said to have been made by Columbus is carefully pre¬ 
served at that institution. 

When about fourteen years old, Columbus went to sea. In those 
times the Mediterranean and Adriatic were filled with treasure 
ships from the Indies (in'diz). Jewels, gold, spices, and gums were 
brought overland through Africa to Venice (ven'iss) and Genoa, 
which were then in the height of their glory as conquerors of 
adjoining small states and masters of the seas. Pirates swarmed 
in the waters. The ships of one nation preyed upon those of an¬ 
other, while the Moors, who were sullenly withdrawing from Spain, 

7 




8 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


assailed everything within reach. The Mediterranean, from Gib¬ 
raltar to the Dardanelles (dar-da-nels'), was lit up at night by the 
flames of destruction. 

Columbus went to Portugal about 1473. For some years 
previous, the marine world was stirred by the efforts of Prince 
Henry of Portugal to find a southern route to the Indies. 
Columbus afterward married the daughter of one of the captains 
whom Prince Henry sent on voyages of discovery. In this way, 
no doubt, he gained a great deal of valuable knowledge. Although 
deeply interested in these attempts to find a westward route to the 
Indies, Columbus took no part in them. It was at this period 
that he supported himself and family by making and selling maps. 
His wife died shortly after, leaving one son, Diego (de-ah'go). 

Columbus in the Service of Portugal. —About 1477, Columbus 
entered the service of Portugal, and many suspect that he made 
a voyage to Iceland. If so, he must have heard the legends about 
the visit of the Norsemen to the New World centuries before. At 
any rate, when he went back to Portugal, his faith in a western 
route to the Indies was so strong that he begged King John to 
give him command of a fleet with which to make such a voyage. 
The king referred the matter to a royal council, and they reported 
against it; but the treacherous king sent out a secret expedition 
of his own, which was driven back by a storm. Columbus was so 
indignant when he learned of the trick, that he left the country. 

Discouragements of Columbus. — Trudging wearily along, hold¬ 
ing the hand of his little boy Diego, he at last came to a Fran¬ 
ciscan convent, in the southern part of Spain, near the little town 
of Palos (pa'los). The prior gave him kindly welcome, and 
Columbus remained for several days. The prior was much im¬ 
pressed by the views of Columbus, and called in a number of his 
friends, who talked over the matter with him. The prior set out 
to obtain an interview with the king and queen for Columbus, but 
it was a long while before he succeeded. 

It may seem strange that Spain should have a king and queen 
ruling the country at the same time, for such things are not 


THE BIRTH OF COLUMBUS 


9 



COLUMBUS AND HIS SON AT THE CONVENT 











10 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


known in these days. It is hard to imagine two rulers with equal 
authority, but Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile had 
joined by their marriage those two provinces, and sat upon sepa¬ 
rate thrones, although united by domestic ties. Their joint feat¬ 
ures were cast upon the coins of the country, but in matters of 
government the thrones were independent of each other. 

It was not until Columbus had waited for years, and had actu¬ 
ally started to leave the country, that Queen Isabella was won 
over to his views and promised to give him the help without 
which he could not make his voyage. The king would not con¬ 
sent, his excuse being that the treasury had been drained by war; 
but Isabella offered to pledge her own crown of Castile and her 
jewels to raise the needed funds. This sacrifice, however, was 
not made, as the receiver of revenues in Aragon advanced the 
money, which, after all, probably came from the treasury of 
Ferdinand. 

Isabella signed articles of agreement with Columbus by the 
terms of which he was to be admiral over all the lands and con¬ 
tinents that he might discover, and have the right to name three 
candidates for the government of each island; he was to receive 
one-tenth of the gold, precious stones, and merchandise in what¬ 
ever manner found; he was to bear one-eighth of the expense 
in fitting out the vessels, and to be given the same share of the 
profits. The money furnished by Columbus came from his friend 
Martin Pinzon, a wealthy navigator, who agreed to take part in 
the enterprise. 

TOPICS. —The birth of Columbus; his boyhood; when he went to sea; 
piracy; Prince Henry of Portugal; the treachery of King John of Portugal; 
the discouragements of Columbus; King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella; the 
agreement between the queen and Columbus. 


CHAPTER III 


THE GREAT DISCOVERY 



[EFORE the Sailing of the Expedition.—The 

news of the intended expedition spread dismay 
and resentment in Palos. Almost every one 
believed that the men who sailed upon the 
voyage would go to certain death. It looked 
for a time as if not a single sailor could be 
coaxed or driven to service on the ships. 
The government tried to press them to the 
task, and offered to pardon many for crimes on condition of their 
going. It was only when Martin Pinzon, the friend of Columbus, 
and his brothers Vicente and Francisco volunteered, that sufficient 
seamen were secured to man the three little ships. 

The Departure. — Columbus hoisted his flag on the Santa 
Maria ; Martin Pinzon was captain of the Pinta and his brother 
Francisco was pilot, while Vicente commanded the Nina. The 
total number of the crews was one hundred and twenty persons, 
among whom were several private adventurers, a physician and 
surgeon, servants, and ninety sailors. With gloom among the 
sailors, and deeper gloom among their friends on shore, the three 
ships sailed from Palos, on Friday, August 3, 1492. 

The Santa Maria , the largest of the three, was only sixty-three 
feet long, over all, fifty-one feet along the keel, twenty feet beam, 
and ten and one-half feet in depth. The Nina and Pinta were 
open caravels, decked only at the ends, where were quarters for 
the officers and crews. The Santa Maria was what is called a 
carrack, since it was larger than the others and was used for carry- 



12 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ing cargoes of freight. It was also slower, a fact which afterward 
caused a dispute as to who first saw land. 

The Westward Voyage. — Sailing out on the vast unknown 
ocean, all went well for a time, though the sailors were ill at ease 
and anxious for something to occur that would cause Columbus 
to turn back. Little, however, did they understand the high cour¬ 
age and resolve of their commander. Nothing but heaven could 
change his purpose. 

But trouble was certain to come. The seamen were in an ugly 
mood and felt that every day took them that much further from 
home. For a time Columbus held them well under control. He 
ordered that if the vessels became separated by accident, they 
should continue sailing westward for seven hundred leagues ; but it 
is doubtful if either of the other vessels would have held to the 
course so long. He was so afraid that land would not be found 
at the distance named that he kept two reckonings — a true and 
a false one. The latter was shown to the crews and made the 
progress seem less than was the fact. 

A great surprise came to the discoverer on the night of Septem¬ 
ber 13, when some six hundred miles from the island of Ferro. 
Looking at the compass, he saw that, instead of pointing at the 
north star, as he had always seen it do, the needle turned several 
degrees to the northwest. The variation, too, increased with each 
day. He could not understand it, nor even at this late day is the 
cause clearly understood; but, afraid of the effect of the strange 
fact upon his men, he kept the secret as long as he could. By 
and by, however, the pilots discovered the truth and were terri¬ 
fied. But Columbus was ready with the theory that the needle 
pointed not toward the north star, but toward a fixed point near it, 
and the revolution of the star caused the seeming variation of the 
needle. The simple folk had so much respect for his learning 
that they accepted the explanation. 

Signs of Land. — After a while, so many signs of land appeared 
that it is hard to understand why the sailors continued dissatisfied. 
On the day after the variation of the compass had been noticed, 


THE GEE AT DISCO FEE V 


13 


a heron and a tropical bird hovered around the ships for some 
time, as if trying to find out who the strange beings were. Since 
those birds never go far from land, no stronger proof could have 
been given of the near success of the voyage. Then the ships 



THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 


entered the mass of-floating seaweed known as the Saragossa Sea, 
and the sailors had great sport netting crabs and other shellfish. 

Meanwhile, the trade-winds carried the ships smoothly forward. 
The signs of land became more- marked; but, as the days passed, 
and each morning the same limitless expanse of ocean bounded the 
horizon on every hand, the discontent of the sailors increased, 
until they were on the verge of mutiny. Despite all Columbus 
could do, their sullenness grew until in desperation he agreed that 





14 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


if land were not sighted at the end of three days, he would go back 
to Spain. 

While a reward was offered to the one who first saw land, a 
penalty was imposed for a false alarm. The clouds were mistaken 
so many times for the misty shore of some island, that every few 
hours a gun boomed on one of the vessels as a signal that the 
great discovery had been made. 

On the night of October n, Columbus climbed upon the roof 
of the cabin, at the stern of the Santa Maria. The twinkling 
stars overhead, the rippling of the water from the bow, the foamy 
wake stretching away in the night, the solemn stillness, the mur¬ 
mur of the voices of the crew, as they moved here and there or 
gathered in scowling groups, — all these were fit companions to 
the gloomy thoughts of the great navigator, who, on the eve of one 
of the grandest achievements of man, dreaded lest he should be 
forced to turn back with a disappointment more crushing than 
he could bear. 

A Light over the Waters. — Suddenly his heart gave a quick 
throb. With his longing eyes piercing the night, he saw a light 
moving along the horizon like a star. And yet it could not be ! a 
star, for it danced up and down, as if a person bore it in his hand, 
while running. Afraid to trust his own senses, Columbus called 
to one of his friends and asked him whether he observed the light. 
Yes, he saw it. Then the discoverer asked another to climb up 
beside him, but the light had vanished. It flickered to view, 
however, several times, but the signal gun was not fired, owing 
to the doubts of several. 

Land 1 — At two o’clock in the morning, a cannon on the Pinta 
boomed across the waters. One of the watchers had caught the 
dim but certain outlines of land several miles distant. Sail was 
shortened and daylight confirmed the glad news. 

Landing of Columbus. — With the breaking of day, the admiral 
and his crews saw before them a level island, green and beautiful 
with vegetation and swarming with men, who ran from the woods 
to the edge of the sea and stared in wondering amazement at the 


THE GREAT DISCO VER Y 


15 


visitors. In obedience to the signals of Columbus, anchors were 
dropped and the boats were manned and armed. The discoverer 
himself was in full armor and bore the royal standard, while the 
Pinzon brothers each carried the banner of the expedition, em¬ 
blazoned with a green cross, containing the initials of Ferdinand 
and Isabella. Leaping out of the boat as it touched shore, the 
admiral sank upon his knees, kissed the ground, and thanked God 
from an overflowing heart. The rest did the same, for their grati¬ 
tude was as deep as his. 

Then Columbus rose to his feet, drew his sword, displayed the 
royal standard, and with his companions grouped about him took 
possession of the island in the name of the sovereigns of Castile 
and Aragon. The men next crowded around their commander 
and humbly craved his forgiveness, — a prayer which he gladly 
granted. The natives viewed the scene in silent wonder and awe. 

It has never been clearly established where the landing of 
Columbus was made. The weight of testimony is in favor of 
Watling Island, one of the Bahamas. The island was called 
Guanahani (gwah-na-hah'ne) by the natives and named San 
Salvador by Columbus. Believing that he had landed on one of 
the islands belonging to the coast of India, he called the natives 
Indians (in'di-ans), a name which has clung to them ever since. 

The voyage from Palos had been made in forty-three days. 
The Spaniards wandered over the island, eating the delicious 
fruits and feasting their eyes upon the beautiful scenery. They 
treated the natives kindly and won their good-will. Two days 
later the discoverers rowed to the northward in their boats and 
examined the rest of the island. Columbus gave numerous pres¬ 
ents to the Indians, such as glass beads, hawks’ bills, and gaudy 
trinkets. For the first time the white men saw their canoes, hol¬ 
lowed from the trunks of large trees, and their hammocks swinging 
in the cool shade of the groves. 

Other Discoveries. — It is not worth while to follow Columbus 
through all his explorations, for his experiences were quite similar. 
He discovered a number of other islands, among which was San 



16 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Domingo. He saw everything through magnifying glasses, as may 
be said, and his letters to the Spanish sovereigns were filled with 
such extravagant language as to awaken distrust in their minds. 

Loss of the Santa Maria. — It was on December 6 that Colum¬ 
bus reached Haiti, landing on the western end of the island, to 
which he gave the name of St. Nicholas, known now as Mole St. 
Nicholas. Off Santo Domingo the careless pilot ran the Santa 


WRECK OF THE SANTA MARIA 

Maria on a sand bar. She was badly injured and could not be 
gotten off. She was therefore unloaded, and Columbus sailed in 
the Nina. The timbers of the Santa Maria were used in con¬ 
structing a fortification, which was named La Navidad. Forty- 
three Spaniards, by their own request, were placed in charge, 
and on January 16, 1493, Columbus hoisted sail for home. 

Return to Spain. — It was in the depth of winter, the sea was 
tempestuous, and the trade-winds delayed them; but Columbus 








THE GEE AT DISCOVERY 


17 


and the Pinzons were skilful sailors, and they reached one of the 
Azores on February 18, without mishap. On March 4, the Nina , 
the ship of Columbus, anchored off Lisbon, and the discoverer 
was received with the highest honors by the king of Portugal. 
That ruler must have been filled with chagrin, when he reflected 
how he had thrown away the glory which might have fallen to his 
own country. Sailing again, Columbus came to anchor at Palos, 
on March 15, 1493. 

Never before had the city known such excitement. All busi¬ 
ness ceased, the bells were rung, and men, women, and chil¬ 
dren rushed to the shore to greet those whom they had never 
expected to see again. Columbus sent letters to .the king and 
queen, who were at Seville, and soon followed them. No 
higher honors could have been paid to any hero than were 
showered upon the admiral by the grateful sovereigns; for what 
greater deed could mortal man accomplish than to discover a 
new world ? 

Subsequent Voyages by Columbus. — It was natural that Colum¬ 
bus should wish to make another voyage across the Atlantic to the 
wonderful country which he had found, and the king and queen 
were as eager as he that it should be done. There was no trouble 
now in obtaining volunteers. His ships numbered seventeen, 
and twelve hundred people accompanied him. The expedition 
sailed in the September following his first return, and, calling at 
Haiti, found not a Spaniard alive. They had acted so brutally 
toward the natives, that the latter overwhelmed them and slew 
every white person on the island. 

This expedition accomplished little, and Columbus made a 
third one in 1498. On this voyage he discovered and named 
the island of Trinidad and saw the northern coast of South 
America. With no suspicion of the vast continent he had found, 
he supposed it to be a small island, which he named Zeta. He 
coasted hundreds of miles, believing each projecting point to 
be an island. When, however, he observed the vast volume of 
water poured into the ocean by the Orinoco, he was sure he had 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


18 

reached the coast of Asia and the stream was one of the great 
rivers flowing from the Garden of Eden. 

The enemies of Columbus caused his arrest on false charges, 
and he was sent home in irons. The sovereigns and the people 
were shocked, and he was quickly released and treated with 
honor. Although he had grown old and feeble, he sailed on his 
fourth and last voyage in the spring of 1502. He discovered 
Martinique (mar-te-neek f ) and other islands and saw the coast 
of Honduras. He returned to Spain in 1504. His good friend 
Queen Isabella died shortly after, and Columbus found himself 
deserted and in poverty. He tried in vain to secure his rights, 
but failed to do so, and died May 20, 1506, with never a sus¬ 
picion of the real grandeur of the discovery he had made. 

TOPICS. — Sailing of Columbus; the three caravels; the westward voyage; 
the signs of land; the light seen by Columbus on the night of October 11; 
the great discovery; the landing; where the landing was made; other dis¬ 
coveries of Columbus; loss of the Santa Maria; what followed; the return 
to Spain; second voyage of Columbus; what was done on his third voyage; 
on his fourth; his death. 


CHAPTER IV 


EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 
English Explorations 

I HE Naming of the New World. — Americus Ves- 
puccius (a-mer'i-cus ves-poosh'e-us) was a 
comrade of Columbus, and like him a skilful 
sailor and a native of Italy. In May, 1499, 
he sailed on a voyage of discovery with another 
navigator. They sighted the coast of South 
America six hundred miles south of the Gulf of 
Para, and sailed as far south as the Cape de la 
Verda, thus gaining a sight of the continent of America. Two 
years later, while in the service of the king of Portugal, Vespuc- 
cius made a second voyage, visiting the coast of Brazil, though 
several other expeditions were ahead of him. 

Vespuccius had done important work, and when he came back 
to Lisbon he wrote an account of his explorations, which was 
published at Augsburg in 1504. In this narrative and in letters, 
he claimed to have made a voyage to the continent in 1497, 
which was before Columbus saw the mainland. This increased 
the admiration felt for Vespuccius in many quarters, and one 
writer proposed that the newly discovered country should be 
named America in honor of the Italian. The proposal was 
accepted, and gradually the whole continent became known as 
America instead of Columbia, though the latter name has been 
growing in favor of late years. 

The Discoverer of the American Continent. — But the honor of 
discovering the mainland of the American continent must be 




20 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


given to an Englishman named John Cabot (cab'ot), who sailed 
from Bristol, England, in 1497, and sighted the coast on June 24. 
The exact spot is not known, but is believed to have been Labra¬ 
dor. Cabot thus preceded Columbus to the continent itself by 
about a year. It is generally believed that in May, 1498, 
Sebastian Cabot, in charge of an expedition, coasted New Eng¬ 
land, New York, and as far south 
as Cape Hatteras. He, like so 
many of the others, was searching 
for a shorter route to India, but 
of course was disappointed. 

The Leading Maritime Nations 
of Europe. — At the time of the 
discovery of America, the leading 
maritime nations 
of Europe were 
Spain, Holland, 
France, and Eng¬ 
land. Holland was 
more in quest of 
trade than terri¬ 
tory, and did little 
of account in the 
way of explora¬ 
tion. It required 
a good many years 
for her to see the 
golden prizes that were slipping from her grasp. Even Eng¬ 
land, after the voyages of the Cabots, seemed to care little about 
the New World. Henry VIII, in response to urgent demands, 
sent out an expedition in 1527, and another in 1536, but little 
was done. In the spring of 1553 three other ships sailed for the 
New World. Two of them drifted into the Arctic regions, and 
their crews were frozen to death. The third reached Archangel 
in Russia and was the means of opening a new channel for trade. 



CABOT AMONG THE ICEBERGS 







EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


21 


Frobisher’s Voyages. — Martin Frobisher (frob'ish-er) sailed on 
his first westward voyage in June, 1576, and made two subsequent 
ones. He entered the strait named for him, but his work has 
slight value. 

*Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s Expedition. — Sir Humphrey Gilbert, 
a half brother of Sir Walter Raleigh, who helped him to fit out 
the expedition, left England in June, 1583, in charge of five 
ships, but one of the largest put back to port, and mutinies, 
quarrels, and continuous bad weather brought the expedition to 
naught. Sir Humphrey was drowned by the foundering of his 
vessel while on his return to England. 

Sir Walter Raleigh’s Expeditions. — 

Sir Walter Raleigh did not give up 
his scheme of colonization. He sent 
two other ships to America in April, 

1584. They reached North Carolina, 
and brought back so encouraging a 
story that a larger and better equipped 
expedition set out for the New World 
in the following year. They attempted 
a settlement south of Cape Fear, but 
treated the Indians so badly that the^ 
red men became their bitter enemies. 

When on the verge of starvation, Sir 
Francis Drake carried them back to England. They took with 
them some tobacco, which was thus introduced into Europe. 

In 1587 Raleigh sent still another expedition, comprising one 
hundred and fifty men and women. They wrangled continually 
and led a wretched existence for a considerable time. While 
at Roanoke Island, the wife of Annanias Dare gave birth to a 
daughter, who was named Virginia. She was the first child of 
English parentage born within the present limits of the United 
States. 

Governor White, who was at the head of the colony, returned 
to England in quest of help. Threatened war with Spain kept 



SHIPS OF THE SIXTEENTH 
CENTURY 



22 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



him at home for three years. When he at last came back, he 
was unable to find a single member of the colony. He made 
long and repeated searches, for his own daughter was among the 
missing ones, but he was forced to sail away without seeing her 
or any of the others. 

The “ Lost Colony.” — Sir Walter Raleigh did all he could to 
learn the fate of the “lost colony,” as it is termed in history, 


THE “LOST COLONY” 

but was never able to gain any certain knowledge of the people. 
There were reports many years afterward that some of them were 
alive, but it is probable that when White visited the spot in 1590 
all were dead. 

Gosnold’s Expedition. — In March, 1602, Captain Bartholomew 
Gosnold sailed from Falmouth with thirty-two persons, of whom 
twenty were intended to found a colony. It was he who named 
Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, and Martha’s Vineyard. They 
made a sturdy effort to gain a footing on New England soil, and 
held fast for a time; but they had neglected to bring provisions, 
and, to save themselves from starvation, were compelled to return 
to England. Gosnold, however, spread such bright accounts of 




EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


23 


the fertility of the land and the beauty of the country that great 
interest was roused in colonization, and the grandest of conceiv¬ 
able results soon followed. 

Spanish Explorations 

The Spanish naturally sought the warmer portions of America. 
A navigator who was the first to reach any new land had the right 
to claim it for the government under whose flag he sailed. Thus 
Columbus, though an Italian, served under the Spanish flag, and 
everything he discovered therefore belonged to Spain. 



DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN 


Discovery of the Pacific Ocean. —Vasco Nunez de Balboa left 
Spain on a vessel which was wrecked on the coast of Darien. 
He had been there before, and he now saved the crew from 
starvation by guiding them through many perils to an Indian 
village, where food was obtained. The grateful men placed^him 
at their head, and they committed many cruelties upon the Indi¬ 
ans. Nearly all the Spaniards who came to America were so brutal 
and savage that they did much to delay successful colonization. 








24 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


While engaged on one of his forays, Balboa was told by an 
Indian that if he would go six days further to the westward, he 
would reach another immense sea, and beyond that a country 
where gold was as plentiful as the pebbles on the seashore. 

The prospect of finding the precious metal set the adventurers 
off in a hurry. They cared nothing for the fighting they had to 
do, for they were secure within their armor, but the tramp was a 

long and exhaust¬ 
ing one. Reach¬ 
ing the base of 
a high mountain, 
from the top of 
which the Indians 
said the great sea 
could be seen, 
Balboa made his 
men stay behind 
while he climbed 
to the top. This 
was in the month 
of September, 
1513, and he 
gazed out upon 
the Pacific, being 
the first white man 
to rest his eyes 
upon the mighti¬ 
est ocean of the 

DE LEON KILLED BY THE INDIANS , 

globe. 

Ponce de Leon’s Expedition. — Other Spanish navigators pushed 
their explorations northward. Ponce de Leon (pon'tha da la- 
own'), having been deprived of the governorship of Porto Rico 
(port'o ree'ko), set out with three ships in March, 1512, in search 
of a marvellous spring, which he had been told would bring back 
youth to an old person. He landed near where Fernandina now 







EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


25 



stands, and coasting the beautiful shore he and his men drank 
from whatever spring they came upon, hoping it would prove the 
Fountain of Youth. The country was first seen on Easter Sunday 
(Pascua Florida), and named’ in honor of the day. De Leon 
was made governor of 
the new country on 
condition that he col¬ 
onize it. He meant to 
do so, but was killed 
by an Indian arrow. 

De Ayllon’s Expe¬ 
dition. — It is a re¬ 
markable fact that 
eighty-one years be¬ 
fore the settlement of 
Jamestown by the 
English, the Spanish 
planted a large and 
promising colony up¬ 
on the identical* site 
of the first permanent 
English settlement in 
the United States. 

The proof of this has 
been established by 
recent discoveries in 
the Royal Library at 

. . SEARCH FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH 

Simancas in Spam. 

In the month of June, 1526, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon (Il'yone), 
one of the auditors of the island of San Domingo, rich, famous, 
and ambitious, and who had made an exploring voyage six years 
previous along a portion of our southern coast, sailed from Puerto 
de la Plata with three large vessels, containing six hundred per¬ 
sons of both sexes, including missionaries and physicians, and 
one hundred horses. De Ayllon reached the coast at the mouth of 






26 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


a river, supposed to be the Wateree, which he named the Jordan. 
He lost one of his vessels and constructed a smaller one, which 
was the first ship built on this continent. 

Unfavorably impressed with the country, De Ayllon moved up 
the coast to the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. He was pleased 
with the view, and ascended James River to a peninsula on the 
northern bank of the stream, fifty miles from its mouth. There, 
on the subsequent site of Jamestown, he began a settlement, which 
he named San Miguel de Guandape. 

A few scattered Indian dwellings stood near, and the ground 
was low and malarial; but the Spaniards set to work in earnest, 
the heaviest labor being done by negro slaves, the first introduced 
into this country. Before the buildings could be completed, a 
winter of unusual severity set in. A number of men were frozen 
to death on the vessels lying in the river, previous to which many 
had succumbed to disease. De Ayllon himself was attacked with 
fever, and died October 18, 1526. 

The temporary command of the colony was given to Francis 
Gomez, until De Ayllon’s nephew, John Ramirez, should arrive 
from Porto Rico. A mutiny, however, broke out, and the gov¬ 
ernor and constituted authorities were seized and placed in con¬ 
finement. The mutineers after a time'were overcome and their 
leader put to death. Then the fever-smitten and worn-out colo¬ 
nists abandoned the place. In the spring of 1527, the remnant 
of the expedition, now only one hundred and fifty in number, 
set sail from San Miguel, bearing the remains of De Ayllon in a 
tender, which was lost at sea in a storm. The survivors finally 
reached San Domingo, thus terminating the only Spanish attempt 
to found a settlement north of St. Augustine. 

De Narvaez’s Expedition. — In 1528, Pamphilo de Narvaez 
(nar'va-eth), with four ships and a brigantine, landed near Tampa 
Bay and advanced into the interior. He treated the Indians as 
if they were wild beasts, and they harassed him until only four 
miserable beings out of the four hundred were left alive. These 
were held prisoners for years, but gradually worked their way 



EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 2J 

across the continent to California, where they received attention, 
and finally reached their homes in Spain. 

De Soto’s Expedition. — In May, 1539, Hernando de Soto landed 
at Tampa Bay, at the head of a thousand men, and started on his 
famous expedition. Like De Narvaez the explorers were unspeak¬ 
ably cruel to the Indians, and like him they reaped the woful con¬ 
sequences. The expedition moved so slowly that it was not until 


DEATH OF DE SOTO 

1541, that, passing diagonally across the northwest corner of the 
present State of Mississippi, they discovered the “Father of 
Waters.” It is believed that the party penetrated as far as the 
site of Little Rock in Arkansas. During the three years of 
wandering, one-fourth of the men died and nearly all the property 
was lost. 

On the 21 st of May, 1542, De Soto, who was worn to the last 
stages of exhaustion, was placed beneath a tree and, surrounded by 



28 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


his friends, breathed his last. Fearful that the Indians would be 
encouraged to attack them, if they learned of their leader’s death, 
the mourners silently lowered the body of De Soto over the side 
of a boat at midnight, and, wrapped about with weighted blankets, 
it sank to the bottom of the river which he had discovered. The 
survivors fought their way to the Gulf and at last reached the 
colony of their countrymen at Panuco, where they received the 
care of which they stood in sore need. 

De Luna’s Expedition. — Don Tristan de Luna, with a force of 
more than 1500 men, sailed in August, 1559, from Vera Cruz (va'- 
rah krooz'), Mexico, for the purpose of conquering Florida. All 
went well to Pensacola Bay, where a fierce storm destroyed the 
ships. A detachment of soldiers was sent to explore the interior, 
but their experience was similar to that of their predecessors, and, 
had not help been sent to them, none would have lived to return. 


French Explorations 

Verrazani’s Expedition.—The first active interest shown by 
France in searching for a shorter route to the Indies was in 1523, 
when she sent out an expedition, consisting of four ships (soon 
reduced by disaster to one), under command of Verrazani (ver'ra- 
za'ni), who, curious to say, was like Columbus a native of Italy. 
He left the Madeiras in January, 1524, and about two months later 
reached the American coast, along which he cruised for several 
weeks; but the account which he left is so vague, that some doubt 
whether he ever made such a voyage at all. 

Cartier’s Ascent of the St. Lawrence. — In April, 1534, Cartier 
(car-te-a') left St. Malo with two ships and crews of sixty-one men 
each. Steering northward he passed the coast of Newfoundland 
and sailed through the straits of Belle Isle into the Gulf of St. 
Lawrence. The report which he made caused him to be sent on 
a second expedition in the following spring. This time he had 
three ships, and they dropped anchor in the mouth of the great 
river, August 10, 1535. Cartier was confident that he had found 


EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


29 



CARTIER ON THE ST. LAWRENCE 








30 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


at last the right passage to Cathay (China), but when the Indians 
told him the stream narrowed as he ascended it and the waters 
became fresh, he was compelled to change his mind. 

Sailing up the stream, he anchored off the site of the present 
city of Quebec and finally landed below the rapids of St. Mary. 
The Indians flocked about the visitors, who were humane and wise 
enough to treat them kindly, but when, months later, the ships 
were about to sail, several natives were decoyed on board and 
carried to France. 

Cartier’s next expedition consisted of five vessels, which left 
France in May, 1541. The Indians had not forgotten his treach¬ 
ery of the year before, and their manner was so threatening, that 
no attempt at settlement was made. A long time passed before 
there was a renewal of the efforts to colonize Canada. 

Baffled thus in the north, France now gave her attention to the 
southern part of the country. The Huguenots were persecuted 
at that time in France.' Their leader, Lord Admiral Coligny, 
in 1562, sent Captain John Ribaut (re-bo') with two ships to 
explore the Atlantic coast, south of the St. Lawrence. They 
sighted Florida on the last day of April and coasted northward 
until they reached the St. John, up which they sailed. The Ind¬ 
ians treated them well and they in turn were considerate toward 
the natives. 

Still sailing northward, they gave French names to the various 
rivers, and in the latter part of May anchored in the harbor of Port 
Royal. Ribaut was so well pleased with the place that he decided 
to begin a settlement. A strong fort was built on an island in 
what is now known as Archer’s Creek, six miles from Beaufort, 
South Carolina. Leaving all the ammunition and stores that he 
could spare, Ribaut bade his friends good-by and sailed for 
France. 

While the men left behind were wise enough to retain the good¬ 
will of the Indians, they were too lazy to work. They lived upon 
what the natives furnished, hoping that when that resource was 
gone, Ribaut would return with more supplies. The only thing 


EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


31 


they did resembling work was to hunt for gold, which they expected 
to find lying all about them. After a time they fell to quarrelling 
and became so homesick that they constructed a rickety boat and 
put to sea in it. After some of them had starved to death, the 
survivors were picked up by an English vessel, which took them to 
England as prisoners. 

The second expedition consisted of three ships under charge of 
Captain Ren6 de Laudonniere (lo-do'ne-er) and arrived in June, 
1564. A fort was built and all might have gone well but for the 
greed of the men for gold. They became mutinous, hungry, and 
desperate. They formed several plans for killing Laudonniere, but 
he detected the criminals and punished them. Then a party stole 
two of the ships and started for the West Indies on a piratical 
expedition. Laudonniere built two large vessels and made ready 
to follow them, only to have both seized and turned into pirates 
as soon as finished. Still more, the men compelled him to 
sign a commission authorizing them to cruise among the Spanish 
colonies. 

Pedro Menendez. — When the men left behind were in the 
depths of despair, Ribaut arrived with supplies and was joyously 
welcomed. Some nights later, another fleet stole silently up the 
river. It was under the command of Pedro Menendez (ma-nen'- 
deth), one of the most vicious miscreants that ever sailed under 
the flag of Spain. He bore a commission from his king to burn 
and destroy the Lutheran French, wherever they were found in 
his dominions, and he now began his hideous work. 

Three of Ribaut’s ships were up the river, and the four that 
were left were no match for the Spanish, who intended to make 
the attack in the morning. The French ships slipped their cables 
and put to sea, with the Spaniards in chase; but the former easily 
left them behind, and, turning about, watched the Spaniards as 
they entered the river a number of miles southward and landed 
men and arms. Ribaut made ready to attack them before they 
could fortify themselves, but the French vessels were scattered by 
a tempest. 


32 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Relieved of this danger, Menendez set out to overwhelm the 
weak party that had been left in charge of the fort. The Span¬ 
iards marched through mud, water, swamps, thickets, morasses, 
often to their armpits, with the rain pouring in torrents, until 
they reached the fort. It was as dark as it could be, with the 
rain still falling. The French did not dream of danger. The 
sentinel was silently slain, and the others massacred without 



THE SENTINEL 


mercy. Those who attempted to flee were pursued, captured, 
and hanged, the whole number thus put to death numbering one 
hundred and fifty. Laudonniere and a companion escaped by 
standing to their necks in water throughout the whole night. 
They managed to reach the two ships that Ribaut had left behind, 
and sailed for France. 

Menendez learned some time later that the Frenchmen who 
had set out to attack him were shipwrecked on Anastasia Island, 
a short distance to the south. He marched thither, received 
their surrender, and put nearly every one to death. Ribaut and 




EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


33 



the remainder of the men reached the place the next day. 
Menendez cunningly made his force seem much larger than it 
was, and demanded their surrender. Two hundred refused and 
marched south, declaring that they preferred to trust the Indians 
before the plighted word of a Spaniard. Menendez then shot 
down the rest, Ribaut being among those slain. He captured 
most of those that had marched away, and presented them as 
prisoners to his king, who sent them to the galleys. 


RETRIBUTION 

When Menendez hanged the wretched fugitives, he caused to 
be nailed over their heads on the trunks of the trees the inscrip¬ 
tion: “I do this, not as to Frenchmen, but as to Lutherans.” 
Strange to say, France allowed these outrages to pass without 
demanding the punishment of the savage officer. But among 
her subjects was one, a Catholic like Menendez, who determined 
to take the matter into his own hands. With the help of some 
friends, he landed a body of men north of the fort and marched 

D 




34 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


secretly against it. He shrewdly enlisted the Indians in his ser¬ 
vice, for they hated the Spaniards as intensely as he, and attacked 
them with the utmost fury. When the fighting ceased, only a 
few Spanish were left. The Frenchman hanged these on the 
same trees, with the inscription: “I do not this as unto Span¬ 
iards, nor unto Maranes (Moors), but as unto traitors, robbers, 
and murderers.” 

The First Permanent Settlement. — Some time previous to this, 
Menendez, believing that he had destroyed all the heretics within 
reach, went back to the mouth of the River of Dolphins, as it 
was called, and took formal possession of the country in the name 
of his king. He began a settlement in 1565, which he named 
St. Augustine, and the remarkable fact about it was that it was 
the first permanent European settlement within the present limits 
of the United States. Menendez built a fort, and the struggling 
town was attacked several times by the French, English, and Ind¬ 
ians. It subsequently came into the possession of the English by 
treaty (1763), was ceded to Spain (1783), and became a United 
States possession in 1819. 

TOPICS. —The naming of the New World; the discoverer of the American 
continent; the leading maritime nations of Europe; the expedition sent out 
by Henry VIII; the second and third expeditions; Frobisher’s voyages; Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert’s expedition; the fate of Sir Humphrey; the next expedi¬ 
tion sent out by Raleigh; the history of the third expedition; the fourth expe¬ 
dition; the first child of English parentage born within the present limits of 
the United States; the story of the “ lost colony ”; Gosnold’s expedition. 

The portions of our country preferred by the Spaniards for settlement; the 
discovery of the Pacific Ocean; Ponce de Leon’s expedition; the Fountain of 
Youth; De Narvaez’s expedition; De Soto’s expedition; discovery of the 
Mississippi; De Luna’s expedition. 

Verrazani’s expedition; Cartier’s ascent of the St. Lawrence; his second 
expedition; the history of his third and last expedition; efforts of the French 
in the south; the Huguenot expedition of 1562; the sad fate of those left be¬ 
hind; the second expedition; its wretched history; Pedro Menendez; his 
frightful cruelty; the retaliation visited upon the Spanish soldiers; the oldest 
town within the present limits of the United States; when it became an 
English possession; when Spanish again; when American. 


EXPLORATIONS IN AMERICA 


35 


SKELETON HISTORY OF PERIOD I 


Lesson Facts. —The Discovery of America; the Explorers of America. 


Discovery of 
America. 


The Northmen were daring sailors who 
lived in the north of Europe. No other 
people ventured on such long voyages. In 
By the the year 1000, several of their navigators 
Northmen. saw America, and partially explored the coast 
of New England ; but their settlements per¬ 
ished, and the New World was lost to the 
. Old. 


By Columbus. 


By the 
Cabots. 


Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, about 
1435. Study led him to believe that India 
could be reached by sailing westward. After 
long years of trial and waiting, he secured 
the help of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain 
and sailed, with three small vessels, from 
Palos, August 3, 1492. On the 12th of Oc¬ 
tober, he discovered what is believed to have 
been Watling Island. He made three other 
voyages, and on the third voyage saw the 
continent of South America. He died in 
1506, ignorant of the great discovery he had 
. made. 

John Cabot, of England, saw the coast of 
Labrador, June 24, 1497, fourteen months 
before Columbus discovered South America. 
In 1498, Sebastian saw the land his father 
had discovered and explored the region from 
. Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras. 


To the Pupil. — Construct a skeleton history of the Explorers of America. 






Part II 

THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 


CHAPTER V 

THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 

TERNAL Affairs of Europe in the Sixteenth 
and the Seventeenth Centuries. —With one ex¬ 
ception (Georgia), the thirteen original colo¬ 
nies were settled during the seventeenth century. 
That, therefore, was the century of coloniza¬ 
tion, and in order clearly to understand the 
planting of the settlements in this country, 
we must learn of the important events that took 
place in the Old World, for they had a great influence upon 
American history. 

Portugal at that time ranked as a leading nation, but she took , 
no part in the colonization of our country because of her agree¬ 
ment with Spain not to do so, provided Spain did not interfere 
with Portuguese enterprises in Africa. Holland was subject to 
Spain, but became independent in the latter part of the century 
and grew into a strong naval power. 

In England the government rested in the two houses compris¬ 
ing parliament and in the king. Parliament had the right to 
tax the people; but when James I of Scotland came to the throne 
in 1603, he tried to take this right wholly to himself. He laid 
taxes, but the people refused to pay them, and the king was 
forced to let parliament do the work. 

36 





THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


3 7 


James I reigned until 1625, when his son, Charles I, became 
king. He took up the quarrel of his father, and pressed it so 
hard that in 1642 war broke out between him and parliament. 
The king was defeated, captured, and, in 1649, beheaded. 
Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the parliamentary party, became 
ruler of England, and held supreme power until his death in 
1658. His rule is known in English history as the Common¬ 
wealth. His friends were often called Puritans or Roundheads, 
because they discarded wigs and wore their hair short, while the 
supporters of the king were known as Cavaliers. 

There was no man great enough to succeed Cromwell, and the 
people had grown tired of the Commonwealth. So in 1660 they 
called back the son of the beheaded king from exile and placed 
him upon the throne. This is known as the Restoration, and 
the new king, Charles II, reigned until his death in 1685, when 
his brother (the Duke of York) succeeded him as James II. He 
was foolish enough to try to rule by his own will, as his father, 
Charles I, had sought to do. His subjects, in 1688, rebelled, 
drove him and his son to France, and made his son-in-law and 
daughter, William of Orange and Mary, the king and queen. 

James I and Charles I paid little attention to the American 
colonies, and Cromwell did not fret them. Charles II and 
James II, however, were continually interfering and annoying 
them, while the troublous times in England kept a procession of 
vessels sailing across the Atlantic for settlement in America. 
During the seventeenth century our population, beginning at 
nothing, increased to nearly a quarter of a million. 

In France, Louis XIII, in 1614, wiped out the body which 
made the laws, and he and his successors ruled by “divine right ” 
until 1789, when their grinding tyranny drove the people to re¬ 
volt, and the French Revolution, the most appalling period in 
the world’s modern history, swept over France and crimsoned its 
land with blood. A hundred years previous to that (1685) a 
vicious religious persecution in France drove swarms of Protes¬ 
tants, commonly known as Huguenots, to join the stream of 


38 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


emigrant vessels across the ocean to find homes in the New 
World. 

Spain, as we have learned, gave her attention to the southern 
part of the continent, conquering Mexico and many portions of 
South America. Her aggressions were stained by heartless cruelty, 
and her work was accursed from the first, with the baleful shadow 
of her brutality still resting upon the Antilles. Fortunately, Spain 
was slightly identified with our early settlements. If the facts 
thus pointed out are borne in mind, we shall understand the birth 
and infancy of the colonies as affected by the troublous condi¬ 
tions across the ocean. 

Founding of Jamestown, Virginia. — In the year 1606, two great 
companies were formed in England for colonization in America. 
The one formed in London took that name, and the one in Plym¬ 
outh was the Plymouth Company. King James I granted to 
the London Company the North American coast from latitude 
34 0 to latitude 38°, and to the Plymouth Company the coast from 
latitude 41 0 to 45 0 . The coast lying between was granted to both 
companies, but each company was forbidden to place a colony 
within a hundred miles of any settlement already made by the 
other. The western boundaries of all these lands was fixed as 
the South Sea or the Pacific Ocean. 

King James did not mean that the colonies should have much 
to say about their own government. He retained the right to 
name a resident council for each, who were allowed to select 
their own presiding officer, provided he was not a clergyman. 
The king or council could change, as they saw fit, the laws made 
in America, and it was provided that for five years all property 
should be held in common. 

The Plymouth Company sent out two ships in 1606, but one 
was captured by the Spaniards. The other coasted the shore of 
Maine and took home a favorable report. The following year a 
colony went thither, but after a year’s stay gave up and returned 
to England. This was known as the Popham colony. The efforts 
of the Plymouth Company, therefore, resulted in failure. 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


39 



THE POPHAM COLONY 


The London Company sent out three vessels from Blackwall, 
England, on December 19, 1606. These vessels contained one 
hundred and five men, but no women. The majority belonged 
to the “ gentleman ” class, who, like so many before them, ex¬ 
pected to gather plenty of gold with little labor on their part. 
Probably one-fifth were thrifty mechanics and men who were glad 
to work. The three ships were the Sarah Constant\ of one hun¬ 
dred tons’ burden, the Godspeed\ of forty, and the Discovery , a 
pinnace of forty tons. 

The commander of the expedition was Captain Christopher 
Newport. The intention was to settle near Roanoke Island, 
where the “lost colony” had made their home twenty years 
before. While cruising along the coast looking for a harbor, they 
entered Chesapeake Bay, where they were charmed by the beau¬ 
tiful scenery. It was the month of May, the most delightful 
season of the year, and the banks were brilliant with wildflowers, 
whose perfume was wafted across the smooth waters to the sea- 




40 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


men, wearied with their months of battling with the stormy 
Atlantic. The Indians were seen peeping timidly from the 
woods, and the prospect was so pleasing that all were eager to 
land and begin a settlement. They selected a spot on a penin¬ 
sula some fifty miles from the mouth of the river, which they 
named James in honor of the king. The settlement was called 
Jamestown, and was founded on the 13th of May, 1607, on the 
same site chosen by De Ayllon in 1526. 

Captain John Smith. —John Smith, one of the members of the 
council, was a remarkable man. He was energetic, a great 
boaster, who told marvellous stories about his exploits, and who 
did not think any task too hard for him to undertake. Despite 
his brusk ways, Smith was the most useful person in the colony. 
He was brave, not afraid to work, and ready to take any chances 
that promised good to the rest. His fame will long outlive that 
of any of his associates. 

The belief was still general in Europe that if the streams enter¬ 
ing the Atlantic were ascended, they would be found to connect 
with the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, and the council had been 
ordered to hunt for such a channel. Captain Smith spent a 
week looking for it. On his return to Jamestown, he found it 
had been attacked by the Indians during his absence, and they 
had killed one and wounded several of the settlers. The place 
was put in a condition for defence, and Newport sailed for 
England, June 21. 

Sufferings of the Colonists. —Newport could not have left mat¬ 
ters in a worse condition. The supply of food was scant, and 
the Indians showed so much hostility that no help was to be 
expected from them. The weather became suffocatingly hot, 
and the men drank so heavily of the unwholesome water that 
nearly all fell ill. Every man would have perished had not the 
natives been moved with pity. They dropped their bows and 
arrows and gave the starving settlers food, thus saving the settle¬ 
ment from passing out of existence. 

Homesick and discouraged, the men quarrelled among them- 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


41 


selves. When everything seemed to be going to ruin, Smith was 
placed at the head of affairs, and straightway they improved. 
He was not only wise and energetic, but unselfish. He knew, 
too, how to be stern. He gave all the well men to understand 
that every one who refused to work should not be allowed to eat, 
and he set the good example himself. He treated the Indians 
justly, and, as is always the case, they grew to respect him. 



CAPTURE OF JOHN SMITH 


Smith and Pocahontas. — At the beginning of winter Captain 
Smith set out on another search for a passage to the South Sea. 
He started up the Chickahominy with several craft, trading with 
the Indians on the way. When the water became too shallow for 
the boats, Smith entered a canoe with two of his men and two 
friendly Indians. He ordered those who stayed behind to keep 
in their boats and not to go to shore until he returned. They 





42 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



disobeyed his orders, got into a fight with the natives, who killed 
two and then set out on the trail of Smith and the others. 

They soon overtook the white men and attacked them. 
Although there were a large number of Indians, Smith would 
have beaten them off, had his companions stayed by him, but 
they ran off in the woods, and he was left to confront his enemies 
alone. Walking backward, he fired at them as fast as he could 
load and aim his cumbrous gun. He stretched two lifeless, and 


POCAHONTAS SAVING THE LIFE OF JOHN SMITH 

was still holding them off, when he sank to his knees in a bog. 
Before he could free himself, the Indians were upon him and 
made him prisoner. 

He saved his life for the time by exciting their wonder with a 
small mariner’s compass. They admired his bravery, too, and 
instead of putting him to death led him before their chief, 
Powhatan (pow-atan f ). After-a consultation, the chief decided 
that the white man should die. 

Accordingly his hands were tied, and he was laid on his back, 
with his head resting on a large stone. Two Indians stepped 
forward, each with a huge club with which to dash out his brains. 




THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


43 


At this fearful moment, Pocahontas, the young and loved daugh¬ 
ter of Powhatan, rushed forward, threw herself on her knees 
before her father, and begged that the life of the prisoner might 
be spared. The heart of the stern old warrior was touched, and 
he declared that no one should harm the white man. Smith was 
set free, and then the Indians wished to adopt him. He refused, 
and finally was allowed to return to Jamestown. 

This is the story as told by Smith years afterward. No history 
of Virginia would be complete without it, and yet it must be said 
that there are grave reasons for doubting its truth. It is a ques¬ 
tion whether such an incident ever took place. 

Smith’s Further Services. —Smith had been away from James¬ 
town for six weeks. Shortly after his return, when the colonists 
had been reduced to forty in number, Captain Newport arrived 
from England with over a hundred persons and a supply of pro¬ 
visions, farming utensils, and seeds. Smith spent a great part 
of the following summer in exploring the waters of Chesapeake 
Bay. When he returned, he was formally made president of the 
company, and governed with the same vigor and wisdom he had 
shown from the first. 

A Second Charter. — The London Council became convinced 
that a radical change was needed in the organization of the colony. 
A charter, giving the colonists enlarged powers, was granted by 
King James, May 23, 1609, and a fleet of nine vessels, carrying 
five hundred people, left England in the same month. Lord De 
la War was appointed captain-general and governor for life, 
but not being ready to leave home, Sir Thomas Gates was directed 
to assume control upon reaching Jamestown. The fleet was scat¬ 
tered by a tempest, and seven of the ships did not reach the 
Chesapeake until August. Upon one of the missing ships were 
Captain Newport, Admiral George Somers, and Sir Thomas Gates. 
Since it looked as if they had been lost at sea, Captain Smith 
remained at the head of affairs. Some time later he was fright¬ 
fully injured by an explosion of gunpowder and was obliged to 
go to England for treatment. This ended his career in the New 


44 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


World, and nothing can attest more strongly the value of his ser¬ 
vices than what befell Jamestown after his departure. 

The “ Starving Time.” — Left to themselves, the settlers went 
from bad to worse. The men stopped work, killed and ate their 

domestic animals, and 
thus soon deprived 
themselves of all sup¬ 
plies. The winter of 
1609-10 was the severest 
known in the history of 
the colony. Strong men 
lay down and starved to 
death, until the dead 
outnumbered the living. 
Of the five hundred left 
by Smith, four hundred 
and forty perished with¬ 
in the following six 
months. Well has that 
awful period been 
named the “ starving 
time ” in the early his¬ 
tory of Virginia. 

In May some of the 
party that had been 
wrecked in the Bermu¬ 
das arrived in James¬ 
town. They were hor¬ 
rified at what they saw. 
The few men still alive 
tottered about, wan, 
gaunt, and suffering the pangs of starvation. The new arrivals, 
never dreaming of anything of the kind, brought only a meagre 
supply of provisions. In this desperate plight, Gates decided 
to take the wretched sufferers to Newfoundland. Accordingly, 










THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


45 


they were helped on board of the two pinnaces and the boats 
brought from the Bermudas, and the hopeless voyage was begun. 
This was on the 7th of June, 1610, on which day, therefore, it 
may be said no English colony was in existence in America. 

But lo! at the mouth of the James they were boarded by a boat 
sent by Lord De la War, who had reached Point Comfort with 
an abundant supply of provisions. The same tide that bore the 
starving settlers out to sea helped to carry them back to James¬ 
town, where, two days later, Lord De la War anchored his three 
ships and was rowed ashore. He ruled sternly though justly, but 
• was compelled soon to return to England because of feeble health. 
Other settlers arrived, and several new settlements were started. 

Prosperity. — Prosperity seemed to have come to the colony. 
The London Council rewarded faithful services by granting lands 
to individuals. Tobacco had become so popular in England 
that the colonists made a good deal of money by raising it. In¬ 
deed they gave so much attention to its culture, thereby neglect¬ 
ing corn and other necessaries, that the government had to limit 
its production by strict regulations. 

A Third Charter. —A third charter was granted in 1611-12, by 
which the Bermuda Islands were added to the territory of the 
company. A lottery was established, which added thirty thou¬ 
sand pounds to the treasury of the council. At the end of three 
years, however, the lottery was abolished on the good ground 
that it was an injury to public morals. 

Pocahontas. — Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, became 
a warm friend of the whites and was a frequent visitor to James¬ 
town. Several times she warned the people of danger from the 
Indians, and she was beloved by all. John Rolfe, an English¬ 
man, fell in love with the dusky maiden, and she became fond 
of him. The grim chief gave his consent to their marriage, and 
in the little structure at Jamestown, hewn from the rough timber 
of the woods, whose font was hollowed from the trunk of a tree, 
she uttered the responses in broken English as required by the 
rites of the Church of England. She was baptized under the 



46 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


MARRIAGE OF POCAHONTAS 









THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


47 


name of Rebecca, and in April, 1613, was married to Rolfe. 
As a result of this romantic union, Powhatan remained a firm 
friend of the white men throughout his life. 

Some time later, Pocahontas and her husband visited England. 
She was treated with kindness and won the hearts of all by her 
modest deportment. She was received at court, and met her old 
friend, Captain John Smith. The meeting between them was 
affectionate. She stayed about a year, and while waiting to sail 
fell ill and died. She left an infant son, and from him many of 
the foremost citizens of Virginia to-day are proud to claim 
descent. 

Introduction of African Slavery. — In 1619, a Dutch vessel 
arrived at Jamestown with twenty negroes that had been kid¬ 
napped on the Guinea coast of Africa. The settlers were in 
need of all the help they could get in raising tobacco, and they 
paid a good sum for the negroes. Thus the system of African 
slavery was introduced into our country. 

The First Legislative Body in the New World. — Other impor¬ 
tant events took place in that year. The London Company sent 
over one hundred excellent young women, who made the best of 
wives and proved true helpmates to their husbands. In accord¬ 
ance with the provisions of “The Great Charter,” granted to 
Virginia the previous year, a local council was ordered, whose 
members were to be elected by the colonists. Eleven communi¬ 
ties chose members of the body, which assembled at Jamestown, 
July 30, 1619. This was the first legislative assemblage that met 
in America. With the governor and council, it numbered twenty- 
two representatives, and was called the House of Burgesses. The 
laws which they made were not valid unless accepted by the com¬ 
pany in London, while the rules of the company were not binding 
until accepted by the colonial assembly. These provisions were 
placed in a written constitution in 1621, and gradually copied 
by the other colonies. 

It looked as if lasting prosperity had come to Virginia. Both 
sides of the James were lined with settlements for a distance of 



48 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


a hundred miles. Every freeman had the right to vote. Reli¬ 
gious toleration prevailed, and all the conditions were of the 
most favorable character. 

Massacres by the Indians. — Powhatan, the friend of the settlers, 
died in 1618, and the chief who succeeded him spent years in plot¬ 
ting the destruction 
of all the white peo¬ 
ple in the country. 
On March 22, 1622, 
he and his warriors 
attacked the settle¬ 
ments so furiously 
that within a few 
hours four hundred 
colonists, including 
their wives and chil¬ 
dren, were killed. 
The eighty planta¬ 
tions were reduced 
to eight. All would 
have perished had 
not a converted Ind¬ 
ian given Jamestown 
warning of what was 
coming. This was on 
the night before the 
attack, but it saved 
Jamestown and the 
nearest settlements. 

The settlers turned upon the savages and for years hunted them 
down without mercy, until they were glad to make peace. During 
that time, and including the massacre itself, two thousand white 
people had been killed, and a greater number of Indians were slain. 

The Second Massacre. — On April 18, 1644, the Indians 
made another massacre, in which between three and four hundred 


THE WARNING 







THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 


49 


of the colonists perished. The Virginians renewed the war of 
extermination, until again the red men sued for peace, ceded 
a large tract of land to their conquerors, and withdrew further 
into the wilderness. 

Virginia made a Royal Province. — Previous to the last massa¬ 
cre, King James had become displeased with the way matters 
were going in America. He did not like the freedom of debate 
nor the bold manner in which his subjects expressed their senti¬ 
ments. He therefore recalled his former charter, and in October, 
1623, issued a much less liberal one. In July, 1624, the com¬ 
pany was dissolved. It must be admitted, however, that the king 
made wise use of his power. He retained in office those who 
had been opposed to him, but while engaged in a number of 
excellent reforms the monarch died, March 27, 1625. 

The new king, Charles, carried out the wishes of his father 
and won the good-will of the colonists by his liberality. Virginia 
continued to prosper, so that in 1648 she had ten ships trading 
with London, two with Bristol, twelve with Holland, and seven 
with New England, while her population had increased to thirty 
thousand. 

During the civil war in England a great many of the Cavaliers 
emigrated to Virginia. Sir William Berkeley proved to be bigoted, 
and thanked God that there were no free schools or printing in 
the province. He became very tyrannous, and from 1660 to 1676 
the assembly of Virginia prevented the election of any new mem¬ 
bers, the taxes grew to enormous proportions, trade fell into the 
hands of a few monopolists, and industry ceased. 

Bacon’s Rebellion.—The danger from the Indians became so 
threatening that the forts were put in a condition of defence, and 
in the spring of 1675 the settlers gathered a force to march against 
them. When they were about to start, Governor Berkeley dis¬ 
banded them. The angered settlers accused the governor of 
favoring the Indians, that he might reserve the monopoly in the 
fur trade, and declared that if he would not protect them, they 
would protect themselves. 

E 


50 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Outrages soon followed, and the governor still refused to take 
any action. Nathaniel Bacon, a brave and popular young planter, 
after his own plantation was attacked and two of his employees 
killed, called out the militia for the purpose of chastising the 
savages. Before moving, he sent to the governor a request for a 
commission, which was refused. Bacon then marched with his 
men, but was overtaken by a messenger with peremptory orders 
from Berkeley for him to disband his force. Bacon told his 
men that those who chose to obey the order could do so. So 
many left that he found himself with only fifty-seven soldiers. 

The governor was in a fury, and calling together a troop of 
horse, started in pursuit of Bacon and his company. Before he 
could reach them, an insurrection broke out among the settlers 
to the south, and the alarmed governor galloped back to straighten 
out matters. 

Reaching Jamestown, the governor found everything topsy¬ 
turvy. The citizens demanded a new election and a reduction 
of taxes, and Berkeley had to grant both. Meanwhile, Bacon 
delivered a crushing blow against the hostile Indians, and then 
disbanding his force went to his home. 

Bacon was elected as a member of the new assembly. He 
made formal acknowledgment of his error in taking up arms, 
and the assembly punished him by electing him commander-in¬ 
chief. The governor refused to sign the commission. Bacon 
insisted, and presented himself at Jamestown, at the head of his 
soldiers, with a demand for permission to protect themselves 
against the Indians, who were again committing atrocities. Berke¬ 
ley thumped his breast and again refused. Crossing the Chesa¬ 
peake, he gathered a large number of followers among the many 
slaves, to whom he promised plenty of plunder as well as their 
freedom in repayment for their services. 

Bacon and his men decided to accept the governor’s flight from 
Jamestown as an abandonment of his office, and writs were issued 
for the election of an assembly to provide for a new government. 
Sir William, on the other side of the bay, was agreeably surprised 



THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF VIRGINIA 51 


about this time by the arrival of some English ships. Reinforced 
by them, he set out again for Jamestown, to which place Bacon 
had just returned from a successful campaign against the Indians. 
To prevent the 
town being used 
by the governor 
for shelter, the 
torch was applied 
and the place re¬ 
duced to ruins. 

Among Bacon’s 
friends were sev¬ 
eral who owned 
fine residences, 
and they set the 
example by apply¬ 
ing the torch with 
their own hands. 

Bacon was on 
the eve of tri¬ 
umph, when he 
was stricken by 
fever and died, 

October 1, 1676. 

No one competent 
to succeed him re¬ 
mained and his 
forces dispersed. 


Governor Berk'e- 

BURNING OF JAMESTOWN 

ley hunted them 

down without mercy. He hanged twenty-two, three died in 
prison, while five sentenced to be executed escaped. In the fol¬ 
lowing January, Berkeley was recalled. Even King Charles de¬ 
tested him for his cruelty, and he was so crushed by his disgrace 
that he lived but a short time. 






52 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Subsequent Colonial History of Virginia. — Virginia suffered at 
the hands of bad rulers, though a number were wise and excellent 
men, but her prosperity continued. In 1732, a colony from 
Pennsylvania settled near the present site of Winchester. Others 
followed and pushed beyond the mountains, some making their 
homes in the valley of the Monongahela. The population more 
than quadrupled during the first half of the eighteenth century. 
William Parks set up a printing press at Williamsburg, the capital, 
in 1738, and published a weekly newspaper. William Byrd, a 
wealthy citizen, laid out the towns of Richmond and Petersburg. 
Norfolk, Fredericksburg, and Falmouth were incorporated and 
new counties formed, the prosperity of the province never again 
receiving any serious check. 

TOPICS.—The settlement of the thirteen original colonies; why Portugal 
took no part; the situation of Holland; the leading events in England during 
the seventeenth century; in France; the colonizing work of Spain; the Lon¬ 
don and Plymouth companies; their respective grants; the efforts made by 
the Plymouth Company; by the London Company; the founding of James¬ 
town; Captain John Smith; the search for a passage to the South Sea; suffer¬ 
ings of the colonists; the services of Smith; the story of Smith and Poca¬ 
hontas; his further services. 

The second charter for the colony; Lord De la War; the experience of 
his fleet; the accident to John Smith; the “starving time”; what saved the 
colony from destruction; prosperity of the colony; the third charter; the lot¬ 
tery; the marriage of Pocahontas; her visit to England and her death; in¬ 
troduction of African slavery; the first legislative body in the New World; 
the first massacre by the Indians; retaliation; the second massacre; how the 
Indians were punished ; Virginia as a royal province; the Cavaliers; cause of 
Bacon’s rebellion; its history; good and bad rulers of Virginia; settlement 
of Winchester; increase of population; first printing press at Williamsburg; 
other towns laid out; those that were incorporated; the continuous prosperity. 


CHAPTER VI 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 

N Search of a Shorter Route; Explorations by 
Henry Hudson. — The Dutch East India 
Company was formed, and employed Henry 
Hudson, an Englishman, to make search for a 
shorter route to India. In charge of the Half 
Moon , and with a crew of only twenty men, he 
sailed from Amsterdam, April 4, 1609. When 
he reached Nova Zembla, the vast quantities 
of floating ice compelled him to turn back, and he headed to the 
southward. Touching at several points on the way, he sighted 
Cape Cod. Not knowing that it had already been named, both 
by Champlain and Gosnold, he called it New Holland. He con¬ 
tinued southward to Chesapeake Bay, where, finding the English 
were ahead of him, he turned northward again, and dropped 
anchor, September 3, at Sandy Hook. There he stayed for one 
week, during which the crew made many visits to the neighbor¬ 
ing land, shooting game and trading with the natives. Then he 
hoisted anchor and began a voyage up the Hudson. 

It was repeating in a small way the experience of Columbus 
more than a century before. The Hudson is sometimes called 
the Rhine of America, because of its romantic and beautiful 
scenery. The voyage was a continual delight to the navigators, 
while the Indians peeped out from among the trees along the 
banks in wonder and awe. The Half Moon sailed so slowly, that 
at the end of ten days it had ascended the noble stream only a 
hundred miles. Hudson kept on until he reached the present 

53 



54 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


site of Albany, his smaller boats 
going some distance further. The 
men landed at different points 
and were treated well by the 
natives, to whom they showed 
kindness in return. The narrow¬ 
ing width of the river told Hud¬ 
son, however, that he never could 
find the short route to Asia by 
following that course. 

Having finished his task, Hud¬ 
son returned to Dartmouth, Eng¬ 
land, whence he sent an account 
of what he had done to his em¬ 
ployers at Amsterdam. The Dutch 
lost no time in setting up their 
claim to the new territory, for 
which they had a good title. The 
voyage so added to the fame of 
Hudson, that he was now sent 
out by England to make one more 
effort to discover the northwest 
passage, as it was called. He 
took with him a crew of twenty- 
three men, among whom was his 
son. This was in 1610. 

On this voyage Hudson dis¬ 
covered the bay and strait which 
bear his name. Dreadful suffer¬ 
ings came to all who were com¬ 
pelled to spend the winter in that 
arctic country. His desperate 
crew mutinied and set him, his 
son, and eight others, four of whom were sick, adrift in an open 
boat. None was ever heard of again. ✓ 










DISCOVERY OF THE HUDSON 

55 













56 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Dutch Settlement and Rule in New Netherland. — Holland, as 
we have learned, was more eager for trade than for territory. 
During the three years following Hudson’s exploration of the 
stream, the Dutch ships sailed up and down the river, bartering 
with the natives. A profitable fur trade was thus built up. The 
headquarters were on Manhattan Island, where, in 1613, stood a 
fort and several cabins. This was the foundation of the present 
metropolis of America. 

The Dutch did not neglect to explore the surrounding country. 
They sailed over Long Island Sound, Narragansett Bay, and some 
of the waters of New Jersey. The States General of Holland, in 
1615, granted a charter to a company of New Amsterdam mer¬ 
chants, by which they were given a monopoly for three years of 
the trade of New Netherland, which was the name of the territory 
between Virginia and Canada (then called New France), or from 
the fortieth to the forty-fifth degree of latitude. This included all 
New England. A settlement was planted the same year on a 
small island just below where Albany now stands. 

The West India Company, a corporation with vast powers, as¬ 
sumed charge of New Netherland. In March, 1623, it sent out 
the New Netherland, on which were several officers of the com¬ 
pany, besides a number of settlers who were known as Walloons, 
and who had been driven from their homes by religious persecu¬ 
tion. The first director of the company, Captain Cornelius Jacob¬ 
sen May, had charge of the ship and landed them near the fort 
on Castle Island. The thrifty people set to work at once. 

The Walloons built Fort Orange, on a part of the present site 
of Albany, and some of the company settled there. The colony 
was governed by Captain May until the close of 1624, then by 
William Verhult, and Peter Minuit took charge in 1626. Minuit 
may be considered the first real governor. He made Manhattan 
the chief place of New Netherland and brought all the settlements 
under one government. He bought Manhattan Island from the 
Indians for trinkets worth about twenty-four dollars. 

Manhattan grew so slowly that in 1628 there were less than 



WOUTER VAN TWILLER 

later years. They decreed that every person who planted in New 
Netherland a colony of fifty persons over fifteen years of age, 
should become a patroon of the tract of which he took possession. 
By patroon was meant the sole owner of the land, and ruler of the 
people who settled upon it. The patroon could be a tyrant if he 


THE COLOJV/AL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 


three hundred persons on the whole island. The frugal people 
drove a profitable trade with the Indians, but in 1629 the West 
India Company took a step that caused a great deal of trouble in 











58 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



chose, while the colonists on his lands were no better off than 
slaves. These rights were to continue to him and his heirs forever. 

The greedy patroons snatched up large tracts, not only in New 
York, but in the present States of Delaware and New Jersey. The 
quarrels which soon followed resulted in the recall of Minuit, the 

governor, on the charge 
that he had favored the 
patroons. Two years 
later, Wouter Van Twiller 
arrived. 

This man was a num¬ 
skull and the part he 
played was that of bur¬ 
lesque. He would sit for 
hours smoking his long¬ 
stemmed pipe, drinking 
from his big mug of beer, 
while the thoughts that 
took shape in his sodden 
brain were as to how he 
could make money for 
himself or find means to 
gratify his gross taste for 
pleasure. William Kieft 
(keeft), his successor, 
was a man of strong 
sense and iron will, but 
was cruel to the Mo¬ 
hawk Indians, who, in re¬ 
venge, ravaged the frontier of New Netherland. 

Peter Stuyvesant (stive'sant) became governor in 1646 and 
was the ablest of all the Dutch rulers. He re-established friendly 
relations with the Indians, broke up the monopoly that had existed 
in trade, and took active measures to expel the English, who were 
entering his territory. Stuyvesant was called “ Old Silver Leg,” 


STUYVESANT’S APPEAL 




THE COLONIAL HISTORY OR NEW YORK 59 


because of the silver rings about his wooden leg. He was hot- 
tempered and berated the enemies of his country and those who 
did not agree with his views. He was honest and brave, though 
often harsh to the verge of tyranny. 

Capture of New Amsterdam by the English. — Charles II 
claimed the whole country between the parallels of 35 0 and 45 0 
north latitude on the ground that it was granted to the London 
and Plymouth companies three years before Hudson saw the river 
named for him. The king sent a fleet across the Atlantic, which 
appeared off New Amsterdam and demanded the surrender of the 
town. Stuyvesant stormed and brandished his cane and called 
upon the citizens to rally and drive out the rogues, but the people 
had grown tired of Stuyvesant’s rule and were quite willing to live 
under the English. So the surrender was made August 29, 1664, 
and the name of the town was changed to New York. 

Recapture of New York by the Dutch. —At the time of the sur¬ 
render, the place contained about fifteen hundred inhabitants. The 
Dutch welcomed their new rulers, who treated them liberally, and 
the prosperity of the town continued. By and by, France and 
England declared war against The Netherlands and unexpectedly a 
Dutch fleet of twenty-three ships, carrying sixteen hundred men, 
anchored in the outer bay of New York and demanded its surren¬ 
der. The town was in a poor condition to defend itself, and, though 
the small force did its best, it was obliged to submit. New York 
came into the possession of the Dutch again in August, 1672. 

Cession of New Netherland to England.—The war between 
England and The Netherlands ended in 1674. By the terms of 
the treaty, the Dutch were obliged to cede to England all their 
possessions in America. New Netherland, therefore, changed 
hands again and remained an English colony until the Revolu¬ 
tion. Edmund Andros was the first governor, and, although 
somewhat of a tyrant, the colony prospered during the eight 
years that he remained at the head of affairs. Being appointed 
governor of New England also, he left Francis Nicholson, a lieu¬ 
tenant of the army, to act as governor of New York. 


6 o 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


News reached New York on the 26th of April, 1689, of the 
arrest of Andros in Boston. In perplexity as to what he should 
do, Nicholson called the council together. It was decided to 
fortify the place against the French, with whom England was at 
war. An energetic man was needed to take the lead, and Jacob 
Leisler, one of the militia captains, was selected. At his request, 



SIGNING LEISLER’S DEATH WARRANT 


a large number of the soldiers signed a pledge to support whom¬ 
soever the Prince of Orange should appoint as governor. Word 
was soon received from William and Mary confirming for the 
time all Protestants holding office in the colonies. Nicholson was 
so distrusted by the colonists that he went back to England, with¬ 
out attempting to resume office, and Leisler, against the wishes of 
the council, continued to act as governor. 

Colonel Sloughter, a favorite of King William, was appointed 








THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 


61 


governor of New York, and arrived March 19, 1691. Leisler was 
brought to trial for murder and treason. He was found guilty, 
but Governor Sloughter refused to sign his death warrant until the 
commands of the king should become known. The enemies of 
Leisler, however, succeeded in getting the governor intoxicated 
at a dinner in his honor, and he was persuaded to sign the fatal 
paper. Poor Leisler was hanged on the 16th of May, 1691, the 
act, as was afterward declared, being without the slightest justifi¬ 
cation. 

The subsequent history of New York down to the Revolution, 
was uneventful. She took an active part in the colonial wars, the 
particulars of which we shall learn in another place. 

TOPICS. —The explorations by Henry Hudson ; his death ; what Holland 
sought in the New World ; the first settlements on Manhattan Island ; other 
parts visited by the Dutch ; the charter granted by the States General of 
Holland ; the settlement below Albany ; the West India Company ; the New 
Netherland; the Walloons ; the first director of the company ; Fort Orange ; 
William Verhult; Peter Minuit; the patroon system ; Wouter Van Twiller ; 
Peter Stuyvesant; capture of New Amsterdam by the English ; its recapture 
by the Dutch : cession of New Netherland to England ; Governor Andros; 
Francis Nicholson ; Jacob Leisler ; * Colonel Sloughter ; the temperance 
lesson; subsequent history of New York. 


CHAPTER VII 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 



£uglUUuiAuJ* 


[E First Settlements in Canada.—The French, 
during the early years of the seventeenth cen¬ 
tury, explored the coasts of Maine, Nova Scotia, 
and the shores of the St. Lawrence, making a 
few feeble attempts at settlement, but mostly 
without success. They claimed the whole region 
and named it New France. One of the French 
explorers was Samuel de Champlain (sham- 
plain), who penetrated to the lake that bears 
his name. He cruised along the New England coast, and with 
De Monts (mon) made a settlement at Port Royal, Nova Scotia, 
in 1605, which was the first permanent French settlement in 
America. The colony placed by Champlain at Quebec in 1608, 
was the first permanent French settlement in Canada. 

Early English Explorations in New England. — Among the 
early visitors to New England was our old friend Captain John 
Smith. He came out with two ships in 1614, made careful obser¬ 
vations of the coast, drew a good map, and named the section 
New England, by which it will always be known. He named 
also the Charles River, between Boston and Charlestown; a 
place near the present site of Boston he called Boston, and first 
applied the name of Plymouth to the spot where the Pilgrims 
afterward landed. Thus the fame of that remarkable man is not 
confined to Virginia, the scene of his principal labors. 

King James I granted a patent to the Plymouth Company in 
1620, comprehending all the land between the Pacific and the 
Atlantic, lying between the fortieth and forty-eighth parallels of 

62 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 63 



north latitude. This to-day includes British America, New Eng¬ 
land, New York, the upper half of New Jersey, most of Pennsyl¬ 
vania, and all the States to the westward of them. Surely here 
was plenty of room to grow up with the country. 

The Puritans. — Bitter religious persecution prevailed in Eng¬ 
land at that time. Many thought the Church of England so cor¬ 
rupt that they withdrew from it. They were called Separatists or 
Independents, while those who aimed at reform within the church 


SIGNING THE COMPACT 

were called Puritans. To escape persecution many Independents 
removed to Holland; but, though they were well treated, they did 
not feel at home among those who were not their countrymen, 
who spoke another language and followed different customs. It 
was natural, therefore, that they should turn their thoughts to the 
New World. They opened negotiations with the London Com¬ 
pany and completed them in 1619. Two vessels, the Mayflower 
of one hundred and eighty tons, and the Speedwell of sixty tons 
burden, were provided for those who wished to make the voyage 
across the Atlantic. 




6 4 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



LANDING OF MYLES STANDISH 

The Speedwell proved so unseaworthy that at Southampton the 
passengers were changed to the Mayflower , which sailed from 
Plymouth on the 6th of September, 1620. Besides her own crew, 
she carried one hundred and two persons with which to begin the 
settlement in the New World. On the passage there were one 
birth and one death, so that the original number remained. On 
the way across the ocean, the forty-one adult male emigrants signed 
a compact by which they pledged themselves to enact good laws 
and to submit to and obey them. 

Landing of the Pilgrims.—The voyage was a rough one, but 
on the 9th of November the emigrants, who are known as Pil¬ 
grims, because of their wanderings, sighted the bleak lands of 
Cape Cod. Two days later they dropped anchor in Cape Cod 
harbor, now Provincetown. Before landing, John Carver was 
chosen governor for dne year. In doubt whether they had fixed 
upon the right spot, Captain Myles Standish and sixteen men 
landed to look around. It was decided to search further, and a 







THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 65 

month was spent in cruising along the coast. On Monday, De¬ 
cember 11 (Old Style, or December 21, New Style), Myles Standish 
and a party of men were sent ashore again to examine the neigh¬ 
borhood. 

Although those on the Mayflower did not follow until a couple 
of weeks later, the date named is the true anniversary of the land¬ 
ing of the Pilgrims. The erection of a storehouse for goods and 



MEMORIAL ON PLYMOUTH ROCK 


a small number of wooden huts was begun on Christmas Day. 
High, strong palisades were set around these to keep off wild 
beasts and wild men. The ground was partitioned, and the com¬ 
pany divided into nineteen families; laws for civil and military 
government were adopted, and thus was laid the foundation of 
the first permanent settlement in New England. 

Life at Plymouth.—These pioneers were hardy, God-fearing 
men, and those qualities were needed in the severe task they had 
taken upon themselves. It was not until March 21 that sufficient 

F 









66 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

accommodations were provided on shore for all, and in the mean¬ 
time one-half the people had died. Governor Carver passed 
away in April, and his widow did not long survive him. William 
Bradford was chosen governor, and held the office for many years. 
To his ability and vigor was due in a great measure the success of 
the colony. 


“WELCOME, ENGLISHMEN” 

The people were astonished one day in March, when an Indian 
walked out of the woods and called to them: 

“Welcome, Englishmen! welcome, Englishmen!” 

He was treated kindly. His name was Samoset, and he be¬ 
longed to the Wampanoag tribe of Indians. He had picked up 
a few words of English from some fishermen whom he saw years 
before on the coast of Maine. A few days later he came back 
with Massasoit, chief of his tribe. He in turn was won by the 




THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 6? 

kindness of the English,— so much so, indeed, that he made a 
treaty with them, by which both parties agreed to avoid mutual 
harm and to help each other against all enemies. This treaty 
was not broken for fifty years and caused nine other sachems to 
submit to the English king. 

As spring advanced, the health 
of the colonists improved and 
their prospects brightened. The 
Indians taught them how to culti¬ 
vate maize, and they planted a 
great deal of it. The Mayflower 
returned to England, and in the 
following November the ship Fort¬ 
une arrived with thirty-five colo¬ 
nists, who, like the others, were 
of the right sort to make the best 
of pioneers. 

There were some Indians who 
were not friendly. The Narra- 
gansetts, who, it is said, were 
powerful enough to put five thou¬ 
sand warriors in the field, looked 
upon the white men as invaders 
of their hunting grounds. They not only refused to sign a treaty 
of peace, but sent a bundle of arrows, wrapped around with a 
rattlesnake skin, to Governor Bradford. Accepting this for what 
it was intended,— a declaration of war,— the doughty governor 
stuffed the rattlesnake skin full of powder and balls and returned 
it. The Narragansetts knew what that meant, and decided to 
defer a declaration of war. 

Captain Myles Standish reminds us of Captain John Smith. 
He was equally brave, and never hesitated to expose his life for 
the sake of those around him. He was at the head of military 
affairs, and no better selection could have been made. He was 
small of stature, yellow-bearded, fiery-tempered, and ready at all 


[ 



GOV. BRADFORD’S MONUMENT 







68 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


times for a fight. He was not a member of the Puritan church, 
but he liked the people for their honest ways and their moral, 
upright lives. 

Friends continued to arrive at intervals from across the sea, 
and the colony prospered. No doubt other small settlements 
were made along the coast, though there is little trustworthy 
information about them. 

Massachusetts Bay Colony. — The Massachusetts Bay Colony 
was formed of Puritans, some of them wealthy, and all of high 
character. They made a settlement in 1628 near Salem. Boston 
was founded two years later by Governor Winthrop, and between 
the years 1630 and 1640 twenty thousand people settled in Massa¬ 
chusetts. The various colonies scattered throughout the province 
all seemed to be on the road to prosperity. 

Religious Persecution in New England. — It would be thought 
that after the Puritans had suffered so much from persecution 

because of their relig¬ 
ious belief, they would 
be charitable toward 
those who held differ¬ 
ent views. But such 
was not the fact. 
Among the passengers 
who arrived in 1631 
were Roger Williams 
and his wife. They 
landed at Boston and 
settled in Salem. Will¬ 
iams was a preacher 
of ability, but was too 
advanced in his views for those around him. The offended 
people decided to arrest and send him back to England, but he 
escaped by fleeing to the Narragansett Indians, where he was 
made welcome. They gave him some land, and in the spring he 
began building a house. He was joined by several friends, but 















ROGER WILLIAMS PLEADING WITH CANONICUS 








70 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


as they were within the limits of the Plymouth grant, they moved 
further west and began a settlement which in time became the 
great city of Providence. The rock on which he stepped is still 
known as Roger Williams’s Rock. 

Settlement of Connecticut. —Just before this date (1636) there 
was a large emigration from Massachusetts to the Connecticut 
valley. The real settlement was begun in the autumn of 1635, 
by the son of Governor Winthrop, known in history as John 
Winthrop the younger. He arrived with a commission as gov¬ 
ernor of Connecticut, under the patent of Lord Say, Lord Brooke, 
John Hampden, John Pym, and others. He built a strong fort 
at Saybrook, and held it against the threats of the Dutch. That 
year three thousand emigrants arrived from Massachusetts, and 
Hartford was founded. Windsor and Wethersfield were started 
soon afterward, and Springfield was planted further up the river. 

Destruction of the Pequot Indians. —The Pequot Indians began 
committing outrages upon the settlers. A partial punishment 
only emboldened them, and they plotted to destroy all the white 
people in the colony. They sent messengers to the neighboring 
tribes and urged them to unite in the terrible campaign. Roger 
Williams learned from his friends the Narragansetts of the peril, 
and sent a warning to Governor Winthrop. The governor begged 
him to do what he could to thwart the work of the emissaries. 
Williams made haste to comply, and by pleading with Canonicus, 
who seemed on the point of yielding, kept the Narragansetts out 
of the plot. The Pequots were incensed by their failure, but 
determined to undertake the work without help from others. 

Accordingly they attacked the exposed settlers. Connecticut 
begged Massachusetts and Plymouth to help her, and a strong 
force under Captain Mason assailed the Pequot stronghold on 
the evening of May 25, 1636. The fort stood on high ground, 
on the bank of the Mystic River, and was very strong. The cir¬ 
cular enclosure was more than an acre in extent and was sur¬ 
rounded by palisades a dozen feet high. The attack was made 
two hours before sunrise. When it ended, the wigwams within 


THE COLONIAL HIS TOE Y OF NEW ENGLAND . 



DESTRUCTION OF THE PEQUOTS 

had been burned to the ground and fully one thousand Pequots 
slain. The campaign was pressed without mercy in all directions, 
and at its conclusion the Pequots as a tribe no longer existed. 

Founding of Harvard College and setting up of the First Printing- 
press in America. — The order of time requires mention of a 
matter in pleasing contrast to that which has just been told. 
While the Pequot war was raging, in October, 1636, the general 
court at Boston gave by vote four hundred pounds toward estab¬ 
lishing a place for superior education. The Rev. John Harvard 
left his estate, worth about double the sum named, for the erec¬ 
tion of a building at Cambridge,— then Newton,— three miles 
from Boston. He died shortly afterward, and the college was 
named in his honor. It was opened in 1638 and incorporated 
in 1650. A printing-press was attached to the college in 1639, 
and for a number of years was the only one in America. The 
first book printed was a collection of sermons. 








7 2 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Settlement of New Hampshire and Maine. — Although the region 
now partly composing the States of New Hampshire and Maine 
was the earliest known in New England, it was settled more 
slowly than the other portions. In 1623 the Plymouth Company 
granted to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason all 
the territory between the Merrimac and Kennebec rivers, limit¬ 
ing it at the north by the St. Lawrence and westward by the Great 
Lakes. The gentlemen named their grant Laconia, and divided 
it in 1631, Mason taking the western part and calling it New 
Hampshire, and Gorges the eastern part, which after a time 
became known as Maine. The majority preferred the govern¬ 
ment of Massachusetts, and in 1641 New Hampshire came under 
the jurisdiction of that province. Mason opposed this, and 
applied to the courts. The decisions were in his favor, but the 
people would not submit. So, to end the strife, Charles II made 
New Hampshire a royal province in 1679. 

Mason bequeathed his land title to his two sons, and they sold 
it to Samuel Allen of London, who had received a commission 
to govern the province. Litigation continued among the heirs 
until 1715, when it ended because of the death of the principal 
litigant, and was never renewed. 

Formation of the United Colonies of New England. — In May, 
1643, a general court was held in Boston, at which two commis: 
sioners each from Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven were 
present, while Massachusetts, because of its prominence, was 
represented by the governor, two magistrates, and three deputies. 
The deliberations of the body resulted in the formation of the 
United Colonies of New England. They formed a league for 
defence and offence and mutual aid and advice upon all proper 
occasions. The present State of Maine was added to Massachu¬ 
setts in 1652-1653, and the league, confined to the four colonies 
named, lasted until 1684. 

The Providence Plantations. —Roger Williams visited England 
in 1644 and secured a charter which united the towns of Provi¬ 
dence, Portsmouth, and Newport into a single community, by 





Nantucket 
Bradley $ I'uaUa, £ngr t % N.Y 


SETTLEMENTS IN THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES 

73 
































74 


'A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

\ 

the name of the “Incorporation of Providence Plantations, in 
the Narragansett Bay, in New England.” It was not until 1663, 
however, that a charter was obtained, extinguishing all those that 
preceded it, and the province was established under the name 
of “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” 

Persecution of the Quakers. — In July, 1656, a vessel arrived at 
Boston from the Barbadoes, bringing among the passengers two 
Quaker women. The colonists, who heartily disliked the sect, 
drove the two away, but some weeks later another vessel came 
into the same port with five male and four female Quakers. 
They were hardly given time to set foot on shore, when they 
were shipped to England. Convinced that these people would 
continue coming, Massachusetts persuaded the general courts of 
the United Colonies to pass cruel laws against them. The per¬ 
secutions continued, until four Quakers had suffered death be¬ 
cause of their faith. After this the laws were made less rigorous, 
and finally the persecution ceased. 

King Philip’s War. — Massasoit, the Wampanoag chieftain, 
remained a stanch friend of the English until his death in 1660. 
The oldest son of Massasoit dying, the other, named Pometacom, 
or Philip, succeeded him as chief. He was one of the famous 
Indians of history, a remarkable man, and as bitter an enemy of 
the white people as ever lived. 

The real causes of King Philip’s war are not clearly known. 
No doubt he was treated harshly by the whites, but it is probable 
that his soul was fired by the wild dream of driving the invaders 
from the hunting grounds of his race. He grew angered at the 
continuous distrust shown toward him, and let it become known 
that he meant to take the war-path. 

The alarm became so general, that the 24th of June, 1675, was 
appointed as a day of fasting and prayer that the terrors of the 
threatened war might be averted. At Swansea, while the people 
were returning from church, they were fired upon by the Indians, 
and one was killed and several wounded. Two of the neighbors 
started to run for a surgeon, but both were shot down and six 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 75 


others were slain. Several houses and barns were burned, when 
the Indians fled before they could be punished. 

The New England settlements were so scattered that they were, 
exposed to similar attacks. Philip struck quick and terrible 
blows, and some of the occurrences were of the most thrilling 
character. Those were the days when the New Englanders car- 



ATTACK ON SWANSEA 


ried their guns with them to church and stacked them outside, 
while a sentinel paced back and forth during service. Perhaps 
the zealous preacher, at the end of an hour or more, and just 
when he was becoming fairly warmed with his sermon, was inter¬ 
rupted by the crack of the sentinel’s musket. Instantly the Bible 
was closed, down rushed the minister from the pulpit, and he was 
among the first of the throng hurrying outside to catch up his gun 
and prove that he was a loyal member of the church “militant.” 




;6 


A HISTORY .OF OUR COUNTRY 



A strange incident took place at Hadley, Connecticut, on the 
ist of September, which was fast day. The attack of the Indians 
was so furious that the settlers were driven into the meeting¬ 
house, where the women and children had taken refuge. When 
all seemed lost, a tall, military man, with long, grizzled beard, 
suddenly appeared among the panic-stricken people, sword in 
hand. He wielded the weapon with marked effect, placed him¬ 
self at the head of the men, called upon them to follow, and, 


COLONEL GOFFE TO THE RESCUE 

charging the Indians, scattered them in every direction. Then 
the stranger vanished as unaccountably as he had appeared. 

This friend in need, it is said, was Colonel Goffe, the regicide, 
who, having escaped from England, was living in hiding at the 
house of Mr. Russell near Hadley. Nothing could have been 
more natural than that he should rush to the help of the settlers 
when he saw their great peril. 

The people became convinced that the war could never be 
brought to a close except by a crushing campaign. Steps were 
taken to that end, and on December 19, 1675, the Narragansett 
stronghold at South Kingston, Rhode Island, was attacked by a 





THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 


DEATH OF KING PHILIP 



78 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


strong force. This defence, one of the strongest ever known 
among the Indians, contained between three and four thousand 
warriors and their families. It was captured and burned, more 
than seven hundred savages being killed, while the assailants 
lost about a hundred. 

The settlers steadily gained ground, and finally Philip was run 
down in a swamp near the foot of Mount Hope. It was sur¬ 
rounded, and a party entered to drive out the chief and his war¬ 
riors. Philip bounded to his feet on the approach of the soldiers 
and dashed toward a spot where a white man and a friendly 
Indian were on guard. The white man’s gun missed fire, but 
the warrior sent a bullet through the heart of Philip, who, with a 
shriek, leaped in the air, fell headlong into a pool of water, and 
never stirred afterward. 

Hostilities did not fully cease for six months. From the 
beginning to the close of King Philip’s war six hundred white 
men were killed and many more wounded; thirteen towns were 
destroyed and five hundred buildings burned, but the power of 
the Indians in southern New England was broken forever. 

Massachusetts made a Royal Province. — Massachusetts dis¬ 
puted with England for a long time over the right to govern her¬ 
self, with the result that in 1684 she lost her charter. Charles II 
died in 1685, and James II, his successor, sent Sir Edmund An¬ 
dros out the following year as governor-general of all the New 
England provinces, which were united in a single royal province. 
We have learned that Andros had already served as governor of 
New York and New Jersey and was not liked. 

One source of dispute between the colonies and England was 
the Navigation Act. This compelled the settlers to carry on 
their commerce in English vessels and required Virginia to send 
all her tobacco to England. It bore hard upon New England 
also, and she violated its provisions continually. 

The Charter Oak. — Andros, as was expected, carried matters 
with a high hand. He crushed opposition and brought Rhode 
Island to terms. Connecticut, however, was defiant. His mes- 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 79 

sage to the governor demanding the surrender of the charter was 
not obeyed. The angry Andros appeared at Hartford in October, 
1687, at the head of sixty soldiers, resolved to take the document 
by force. 

Assured of success, he was willing to let the members of the 
court talk awhile, though they could have had no hope of shaking 
his resolution. He sat at the head of the table and listened to 
their arguments until the afternoon drew to a close. Then, when 
it was dark, the candles were brought in. 

During all this time the precious charter lay in a box on the 
table, in sight of every one. At last Andros grew tired and 
ordered the charter to be handed to him. At that instant, in 
obedience to a signal, all the candles were blown out. A few 
minutes later they were relighted, but when the governor looked 
around, nothing was to be seen of the document. A brief search 
made it clear it was not in the room. During the temporary 
darkness, Captain Wadsworth slipped out of doors with the box 
and quietly thrust it into the hollow of an oak growing near. 
There it lay undisturbed for several years. The tree became 
famous as the “Charter Oak,” and was preserved with great care 
until 1856, when a violent storm shattered it to fragments. 

The hiding of the charter did Connecticut no good, for she 
was obliged to submit to the rule of Andros, which happily did 
not last long. In April, 1689, news reached Boston that James II 
had been dethroned, and with the news came that of the procla¬ 
mation of William, Prince of Orange, when he landed in Eng¬ 
land as king. The news caused great excitement. Andros was 
promptly deprived of power and recalled to England, though, as 
told elsewhere, he turned up again on this side of the Atlantic 
some years later. 

King William’s War.—War broke out between France and 
England in 1689 and lasted until 1697. It naturally involved 
the colonies in this country, for it will be remembered that the 
French had settled Canada. They were wise enough to cultivate 
the friendship of the Indians, who helped them to desolate our 


So A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

frontiers. It was determined in retaliation to invade Canada. 
Sir William Phipps set out with a large fleet, but returned with¬ 
out achieving much success, while the land force did nothing at 
all. The war continued in a desultory way, when, as we have 
learned, a treaty of peace was signed in 1697. 

The Salem Witchcraft Delusion.—Two hundred years ago nearly 
everybody believed in witchcraft. We can afford to smile in 
these days at the superstition of our ancestors, but if we had 

lived in Salem, Mas¬ 
sachusetts, in 1692, 
we should have felt 
like anything but 
smiling. Cotton Ma¬ 
ther, the most famous 
preacher of colonial 
times, had more to do 
than any one else in 
spreading the hideous 
delusion. 

The craze began in 
1688, when some lit¬ 
tle girls were scared 
into convulsions by 
an Irish woman, who 
was accused of witch¬ 
craft and hanged. 
Then it seemed as if everybody took leave of his senses. Some 
of the cases were most pitiful. Christian mothers were torn 
from their families and suffered disgraceful death; children were 
left helpless, scorned, and heartbroken; gentle, meek ministers 
were executed, and sorrow and woe were everywhere. Twenty- 
eight persons in all were sentenced to death, of whom nineteen 
were hanged and one had his life crushed out of him. A good 
many saved themselves by confessing they were wizards or 
witches. 



WITCHCRAFT DELUSION: SCENE IN COURT 





THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 81 

By the close of September, 1692, besides those put to death, 
fifty-five had been tortured or frightened into making confessions, 
a hundred and fifty were in prison, and two hundred were under 
accusation. When the delusion reached the point that no one 
was safe, the people came to their senses. Reaction set in, and 
most of the leaders in the persecutions were at a loss to under¬ 
stand how they ever came to act as they did. Judge Sewall, one 
of those that had condemned the victims to death, rose trembling 
to his feet in church and read a recantation. Once every year 
afterward, to the close of his life, he shut himself in his room 
and spent the day in fasting and prayer, as a penance for the 
awful mistake of his life. The Salem jurors of 1692 published 
an abject confession and humbly asked the forgiveness of God 
and the surviving sufferers. The witchcraft delusion will always 
remain one of the darkest blots in the early history of New 
England. 

Queen Anne’s War. —Queen Anne’s war was brought about by 
war between France and Spain on one hand and England on the 
other. It began in 1702 and ended in 1713. The powerful 
confederation of Indians in New York, known as the Iroquois or 
Six Nations, because of their treaty with France took no part in 
the hostilities. As a consequence, the New England frontier 
suffered the most. At Deerfield, Massachusetts, the Indians 
hacked a hole with their tomahawks in the door of the principal 
house, where a number of the people had taken refuge, and one 
of the warriors thrust his musket through and shot a woman who 
was in the act of rising from bed. 

A formidable invasion by sea and land was planned in the 
summer of 1711. A fourth of the vessels were wrecked when a 
short way up the St. Lawrence. As a consequence, the land 
forces retreated, and the invasion came to naught. The only 
thing done by the colonists was during the preceding year, when 
they captured Port Royal and changed its name to Annapolis. 
The treaty of peace between the contending nations ceded Acadia 
(now Nova Scotia) to England. 

G 


82 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



ATTACK ON DEERFIELD 


The First Newspapers in America. — The first issue of anything 
resembling a newspaper in this country was Publick Occurrences , 
both Foreign and Domestic. Benjamin Harris brought it out in 
Boston, in September, 1690, but never issued a second number, 
because the royal authorities would not license it. The pioneer 
paper is generally conceded to be the Boston News Letter , pub¬ 
lished by John Campbell in 1704. The next was the The Gazette , 
published in Boston by William Brooker, in December, 1719. 
On the next day Andrew Bradford issued the American Weekly 
Mercury in Philadelphia. James Franklin brought out the New 
England Courant in August, 1721. It was in this office that his 
famous brother Benjamin learned to set type. The first paper 
published in New York city was the New York Gazette , put to 
press by William Bradford, October 23, 1725. The first daily was 
the Daily Advertiser, which appeared in Philadelphia in 1785. 



THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND 83 


King George's War. — War began between England and France 
in 1744. The French colonies in America learned of it first, 
and, moving rapidly, captured the island of Canso, off the eastern 
coast of Nova Scotia, burned the fort, and made the garrison 
prisoners. They attacked, but failed to capture Placentia in 
Newfoundland and Annapolis in Nova Scotia. 

The fortress of Louisburg was one of the strongest in the world. 
France spent ten million dollars and labored for twenty-five years 
to build it, but, impregnable as it seemed, the New England 
colonies determined to capture it. The land forces were helped 
by a powerful fleet, and the siege lasted from May n, 1745, to 
the 17th of June following, when the fortress surrendered. In 
the provinces the bells were set ringing and rejoicing was every¬ 
where. Even England was illuminated with bonfires, and France 
could hardly credit the astounding news; but when peace was 
made in April, 1748, Louisburg was given back to France. 

TOPICS. — The first permanent French settlement in America; in Canada; 
the early English explorations in New England; what was done by Captain 
John Smith; the grant to the Plymouth Company; the Puritans; their emi¬ 
gration to America; landing of the Pilgrims; life at Plymouth; the first and 
second governors; the visit of Samoset; prosperity of the colony; the Narra- 
gansetts; Captain Myles Standish; other settlements. 

Massachusetts Bay Colony; its prosperity; religious persecution; Roger 
Williams; settlement of Connecticut; the founding of Hartford and other 
towns; the plot of the Pequots; the services of Roger Williams; the destruc¬ 
tion of the Pequots; founding of Harvard College; the first printing-press in 
America; New Hampshire and Maine; the grants to Gorges and Mason; sub¬ 
sequent history of New Hampshire; of Maine; formation of the United Colo¬ 
nies of New England; the Providence Plantations; persecution of the Quakers; 
King Philip; the causes of his war; the attack at Swansea; church services 
in those times; the strange incident at Hadley; crushing defeat of the Narra- 
gansetts; death of Philip; the deaths and destruction caused by the war; 
Massachusetts as a royal province; the incident of the Charter Oak; the end 
of Andros’s rule; King Williams’s war; the Salem witchcraft delusion; ex¬ 
tent of the craze; Queen Anne’s war; the attempt to invade Canada; the first 
newspaper in America; the pioneer paper; the next one issued; others; the 
first daily; King George’s war; the capture of Louisburg; the treaty of 1748, 


CHAPTER VIII 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, 
AND DELAWARE 

IMMIGRANTS to New Jersey.—Several of the 
colonies were settled, not by immigrants from 
across the ocean, but from other colonies. 
In this way their history became interwoven. 
Thus, about the year 1660, while New York 
was under Dutch rule, a number of its set¬ 
tlers passed over into what is now known 
as New Jersey, and made their homes there. 
The precise date of such settlement is not known. The terri¬ 
tory formed a part of New Netherland, and that portion lying 
between the Hudson and the Delaware, extending north of the 
latter river to 41 0 40', was given by the Duke of York to Lord 
Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, proprietors of Carolina. To 
this new province was assigned the name of New Caesarea, or 
New Jersey, in honor of Carteret’s defence of the island of Jersey, 
in 1649, against Cromwell. 

Several Swedish and Dutch families had settled in New Jersey 
in 1664, but little has been learned of them. Governor Nichols, 
of New York, knew nothing of the grant until June, 1665, when 
Captain Philip Carteret arrived as the new governor of the prov¬ 
ince. Carteret anchored in the Kill von Kull, in July, opposite 
Elizabethport, and landed with thirty emigrants. Resting a hoe 
on his shoulder, he led the way inland and selected a place for 
settlement. He named it Elizabeth, in honor of the wife of Sir 
George Carteret. This settlement is generally, regarded as the 
first made in New Jersey. 



34 



THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY 85 



The site of the present city of Newark was bought from the 
Indians, in 1666, by a party from Milford, Connecticut. It re¬ 
ceived its name in compliment to Rev. Abraham Pierson, the 
first minister, whose home in England was Newark. The soil 
was fertile, the government liberal, and New Jersey prospered 
until 1670, when trouble came. In that year the proprietors 
demanded the quit rents, which were due. The settlers refused 
to pay them, and soon everything was in a tangle. When the 


ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR CARTERET 

people were on the verge of revolt, James Carteret, the second 
son of Sir George, appeared on the scene as the new governor. 

This man was a vagabond, but in 1672 the assembly at Eliza- 
bethport deposed Philip Carteret and elected James in his place. 
The indignant Philip sailed to Europe for redress. James quickly 
proved his unfitness and was set adrift in May, 1673, when Cap¬ 
tain Berry, Philip Carteret’s deputy, arrived and took charge. 
James left for Virginia. He turned up in New York a few years 
later and wandered about the country, sleeping in barns and 
begging food, like many tramps of the present day. 

Philip Carteret became governor again and was well liked. He 



86 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


postponed the collection of quit rents; guaranteed liberty of 
conscience, and encouraged representative institutions. All went 
well for a while, but another snarl of titles came, involving the 
claims of Berkeley, the old partner of Carteret, and parties to 
whom he had sold his rights. 

East and West Jersey. —The difficulties were finally settled by 
the division of the province into two parts. East Jersey belonged 
to Carteret, and West Jersey was bought by William Penn and his 
associates. The dividing line ran from Little Egg harbor on the 
coast to latitude 41 0 40' on the upper Delaware River. This was 
on July 1, 1676, and the distinction prevails to some extent to the 
present day. 

Upon the invitation of Penn, a large cplony of Friends arrived 
from Europe, in 1677, and settled at Burlington, which, therefore, 
is the oldest town on the Delaware above Philadelphia. The dis¬ 
pute between the original proprietors of the province continued 
until 1680, when the commissioners, to whom the quarrel was re¬ 
ferred for final settlement, decided against the Duke of York’s 
claim to West Jersey. Thereupon he gave a deed of East Jersey 
to George Carteret, grandson of James. Two years later, Penn 
and a number of his associates bought East Jersey of its new pro¬ 
prietor, and thus the entire province came into the possession of 
the Friends. 

Large numbers of Quakers flocked to New Jersey from Scotland, 
England, and New England, and on July 27 Penn appointed 
Robert Barclay, an eminent Quaker preacher, governor for life. 
When King James ascended the throne of England, the Jerseys 
were obliged to surrender their charter, and they had no nominal 
government for several years. In April, 1702, the settlers waived 
their proprietary rights and the Jerseys became a royal province, 
which was attached to the government of New York, each prov¬ 
ince, however, retaining its own assembly and separate territorial 
organization. Mainly through the efforts of Lewis Morris, New 
Jersey again became independent in 1738, and Morris was com¬ 
missioned the first royal governor of the province. Its location 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF NEW JERSEY 87 



preserved it from the subsequent Indian wars, and no important 
events followed until the breaking out of the Revolution. 

William Penn. — The name of William Penn will always be 
honored in the history of our country. He was the son of 
Admiral Penn, and was held in high respect by the sovereigns 
of England and those in authority. He inherited wealth from 


FROZEN IN ON THE DELAWARE 

his father, among which was'a debt of eighty thousand dollars 
due the admiral for services to his country. The son offered to 
accept in payment a grant of land in America, and the king was 
glad to make the bargain. He signed, March 4, 1681, a grant 
of forty thousand 4 square miles, comprising the present State of 
Pennsylvania. Penn wished to name the province New Wales, 
but the king would not consent, and gave it its appropriate name. 
Such a man as Penn was certain to establish a wise system of 






88 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


government. The foundation was perfect freedom of conscience, 
and all his efforts were turned to winning instead of forcing men 
into the right path. He guided his own life by the Golden 
Rule, and strove to persuade others to do right because it was 
right. 

Settlement of Pennsylvania. — Penn decided that land should 
be sold at forty shillings per hundred acres, and servants were 
allowed to hold fifty acres in fee simple. The confidence in 
Penn was so universal that a large immigration began at once, 
the people, as a rule, being of the thrifty and industrious sort. 
Three vessels were sent out in 1681, but one was frozen fast in 
the Delaware at Chester. Penn himself .sailed with a hundred 
passengers in the ship Welcome, landing at Newcastle, October 
27, 1682. The Dutch and Swedes gave him welcome, and he 
won their good-will by his fair-minded address. They asked to 
be taken in as a part of the province of Pennsylvania, and this 
was afterward done. 

The first general assembly was held in the Friends’ meeting¬ 
house at Chester, the Delaware settlers taking part in the proceed¬ 
ings. Under the branches of a spreading elm, at Shackamaxon, 
November 30, 1682, Penn met the leading warriors, chieftains, and 
sachems of the Lenni-Lenape, or Delaware Indians. His kind 
words and manner gained their confidence, and he paid them the 
price agreed upon for their lands. Besides this, he made numer¬ 
ous presents and signed a treaty of peace, which was not broken 
for sixty years. 

Philadelphia laid out. — Philadelphia, meaning “The City of 
Brotherly Love,” was laid out in 1681, and prospered from the 
first. Two years later it had six hundred houses, and during the 
Revolution was a larger city than New York. In a single year 
seven thousand immigrants arrived and settled in .the province. 
The first legislative assembly met in March, 1683, and the town 
was soon provided with schools, chapels, and a printing-office. 

Penn sailed for England in August, 1684, led to do so by the 
previous visit of Lord Baltimore, who was trying to procure a 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 89 



PENN’S TREATY 





90 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


confirmation of his claim to the country along the west side of the 
Delaware from Philadelphia to Cape Henlopen. After a long 
trial, the dispute was decided in favor of Penn. 

The difficulties in which he was involved kept Penn in Europe 
for fifteen years. When he came back, he found Philadelphia 
with two thousand houses, while the province contained twenty 
thousand inhabitants. Such streets as Chestnut, Vine, Spruce, 
and others were already in existence. Prosperity prevailed, but 
the province had grown away from Penn’s authority. 

Formation of Delaware. — Penn sailed a second time for Eng¬ 
land in October, 1701. Before going, he reluctantly signed the 
new constitution, which allowed the three lower counties — now 
the State of Delaware — the right to a separate government. A 
period of misrule followed in Pennsylvania, and the steward, to 
whom Penn entrusted his affairs, robbed him of everything. He 
was so involved, indeed, that he spent nine months in prison for 
debt. While negotiating a sale of the province to the crown, he 
was stricken with paralysis, and died in 1718. 

The will of Penn left his property in England and Ireland to his 
eldest son William, who was a scapegrace. The proprietorship 
in his American colony went to his widow and her three sons, and 
after them to their heirs, and thus it remained until the Revolu¬ 
tion. In 1779, the State bought the claim of the heirs for half 
a million dollars. 

Settlement of Delaware. — In 1638, a small number of Swedes 
and Finns were guided to Delaware Bay by Peter Minuit, the 
first governor of New Amsterdam. He was resentful toward the 
Dutch because of their treatment of him, and, buying the land of 
the Indians, he erected a fort, which was named Christina, in 
honor of the infant queen of his country. Governor Kieft of 
New York warned the settlers that they were intruders and 
ordered them to leave. They did not obey, and he was afraid 
to expel them. In the course of a few years, fully a hundred 
families were settled a few miles below the present city of Phila¬ 
delphia. 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF DELAWARE 


91 


Governor Stuyvesant, however, gave unpleasant attention to 
New Sweden, as the whole country was called on both sides of the 
Delaware, which was occupied by the Swedes. The Swedish 
governor was named Printz. He was of gigantic frame and as 
fiery tempered as Stuyvesant. He allowed the few Dutch in the 
province to stay, because their petty military .post, Fort Nassau, 
was too far up the river to interfere with his people or their trade. 
Stuyvesant put up Fort Casimir on the present site of Newcastle. 
Printz furiously protested, but he and Stuyvesant were more 
afraid of English intrusion than of each other, and both refrained 
from violence. 

The first thing done by the new Swedish governor was to 
capture Fort Casimir. Then Stuyvesant stormed, and finally, in 
the spring of 1655, sent out a force which captured Forts Casimir 
and Christina. That was the end of Swedish rule in America. 
The Swedes who remained became Dutch, the province being 
called New Amstel. We have already learned how it came under 
the rule of Penn, who finally conceded a separate government to 
it, which it has retained ever since. 

TOPICS. —How some of the colonies were settled; the first settlements in 
New Jersey; who first owned it; how it was divided; origin of the name; 
Captain Philip Carteret; the settlement of Elizabeth; the trouble in 1670; 
James Carteret; Captain Berry; Philip Carteret’s second rule; East and 
West Jersey; the settlement of Burlington; how the province came into the 
possession of the Friends. 

Robert Barclay; the Jerseys as a royal province; New Jersey’s inde¬ 
pendence ; from what it was saved by its location ; William Penn; the grant 
obtained from the king; Penn’s system of government; how the land was 
sold; the first vessels sent out; Penn’s arrival; the Dutch and Swedes ; the 
first general assembly; the treaty at Shackamaxon; founding of the city of 
Philadelphia; its prosperity; the first legislative assembly ; Penn’s visit to 
England; what he found on his return to Pennsylvania ; the formation of 
Delaware; Penn’s death; his will; the proprietorship of Pennsylvania; 
settlement of Delaware ; course of Governor Stuyvesant; of the Swedish 
governor; Stuyvesant’s action in 1655 ; the result. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF MARYLAND, THE CAROLINAS, 
AND GEORGIA 

■ggWSETTLEMENT of Maryland. — At the time of 
the settlement of Jamestown, the Roman Catho¬ 
lics suffered persecution in England. Sir 
George Calvert, or Lord Baltimore, a noble¬ 
man of that faith, applied to King James for 
a grant of land in America, his wish being to 
offer an asylum for his people. He died in 
1632, and the patent was issued to his son, 
Cecil Calvert, in June of that year. He named the new territory 
Maryland, in honor of Queen Maria, and, in addition to the State 
now known by that name, the territory included Delaware and a 
part of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

Leonard Calvert, a younger brother of Cecil, sighted Point 
Comfort, February 24, 1634. He came in the Ark, accom¬ 
panied by a pinnace the Dove, the two containing three hundred 
emigrants. The colonists landed at or near Chancellor’s Point 
and began the settlement of St. Mary’s. They gave the same 
kind treatment to the Indians that was shown by Penn, and his 
associates and thus gained their friendship. 

Trouble with Virginia.—The Virginians were angered at what 
they considered the intrusion of the Catholics upon their domain. 
The fact that Lord Baltimore’s title was unquestionable made no 
difference. The most indignant member of the Virginia council 
was William Clayborne, who drove a good trade within the ter¬ 
ritory covered by the patent of Lord Baltimore. Early in the 
spring of 1635, Clayborne sent his small vessel on its regular 

92 




THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF MARYLAND 


93 


trading voyage, but it was captured by the Marylanders. Learn¬ 
ing of this, Clayborne despatched an armed boat to recapture her 
or to seize any Maryland boat within reach. A fight followed, in 
which the captain of Clayborne’s boat and two of his men were 
killed and one also of the Marylanders. 

The news threw Virginia into a tumult, which was intensified 
when Lord Baltimore demanded the surrender of Clayborne. 
Instead of. complying, the Virginia governor insisted that Clay¬ 
borne should go to England to meet the charges. The governor 
showed so friendly a spirit to Lord Baltimore that he was turned 
out of office and sent to England. Clayborne accompanied him. 
The king sent back the governor and sharply reproved the Vir¬ 
ginia assembly for their unlawful course. 

Civil War. — Lord Baltimore and the Catholics were so liberal 
toward those of other faiths that many dissatisfied people in Vir¬ 
ginia settled in Maryland. Governor Calvert sent an invitation to 
those who were persecuted for conscience’ sake in Massachusetts 
to make their homes under his jurisdiction and many did so. 
Among the members of the assembly and council were a number 
of Protestants. 

Matters became so threatening in England, that Lord Baltimore 
sailed thither in 1643 t0 consult with his brother. When he 
returned the following year he found Maryland in a state of 
anarchy. Clayborne had reoccupied his old quarters on Kent 
Island, and stirred up a faction against the administration of the 
governor. This was so strong that Calvert was driven out of the 
colony and a Virginian was elected as his successor. 

Across the line in Virginia, Calvert gathered a number of adher¬ 
ents, recrossed to Maryland, captured St. Mary’s, and resumed 
government in August, 1646. Then it was Clayborne’s turn to 
run and he promptly did so. 

Religious Troubles. — From this point, it may be said the his¬ 
tory of Maryland is partly merged into that of Virginia. There 
was much strife between the Catholics and Protestants, with 
varying success to each side. The Catholics had been liberal, 


94 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


as we have learned, toward those of other faiths, but when the 
Protestants came into power, they persecuted the Catholics. The 
agents of the rival governments were continually begging England 
to fix matters to suit their tastes. Finally in November, 1657, an 
agreement was reached which was confirmed in the following 
March by Virginia and Maryland. Amnesty was granted for all 
past offences; liberty of conscience was guaranteed; the Puritans 
then living in Maryland were required simply to submit to the 
authority of Lord Baltimore, without taking the oath of allegiance, 
and the action of past assemblies was held to be legal, regardless 
of the political disturbances that had taken place. 

Lord Baltimore was stripped of his rights as proprietor in 1691 
and Maryland was a royal province, remaining such for a quar¬ 
ter of a century. The proprietary rights were returned to the 
•grandson, the fourth Lord Baltimore, and were continued until 
the Revolution. 

Settlement of the Carolinas. —In 1663, the king of England 
granted to Lord Clarendon and a number of other noblemen, a 
tract of country south of Virginia, extending from about the 
thirtieth to the thirty-sixth parallels of latitude; or, in other words, 
between the southern boundary of Virginia and the St. John’s 
River in Florida. The western boundary was the Pacific Ocean, 
though no person knew precisely where that was. Two years 
afterward the grant was expanded half a degree north and a 
degree southward. 

In 1663, a party from Barbadoes, who were searching for a suit¬ 
able place upon which to settle, bought a tract of land at the 
mouth of Cape Fear River from the Indians, and located thereon. 
The tract was thirty-two miles square. In the following spring 
the colony was joined by Sir John Yeamans and several hundred 
immigrants. The older colony asked the proprietors to confirm 
their purchase from the Indians. The request was denied, but 
satisfactory terms were granted. The province over which Yea- 
mans was made governor extended from Cape Fear to the St. 
John’s River in Florida, and was named Clarendon. 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF GEORGIA 


95 


la addition to the colopists named, immigrants from New Eng¬ 
land, from Virginia, and from Bermuda were distributed along the 
northern shore of Albemarle Sound. In 1670, two ships loaded 
with immigrants and supplies sailed up the present harbor of 
Charleston to a point three miles above the mouth of the Ashley 
River, where they began a settlement called Charles-town. The 
site proved unhealthful, and in 1680 a change was made to the 
present city of Charleston. 

There was continual friction between the Carolinas and the 
proprietors. Some of the governors were rogues, or incompe¬ 
tents, and much misrule prevailed, varied now and then by a wise 
administration, like that of John Archdale the Quaker. Finally 
the proprietors became discouraged, and in 1729 surrendered the 
right of government and seven-eighths of the land to the crown. 
The colonies were separated and remained royal provinces to the 
Revolution. 

Settlement of Georgia. — In 1732, General James Edward 
Oglethorpe obtained a grant of land from King George II which, 
in honor of the sovereign, he named Georgia. Oglethorpe was a 
skilful general, wealthy, charitable, and philanthropic, and he in¬ 
terested the king, parliament, the Bank of England, and a num¬ 
ber of rich persons in his enterprise. 

The most horrible sufferings prevailed at that time in England 
among those who were thrown into prison because they could not 
pay their debts. Their misfortune might be due to illness, but 
hundreds of people were kept starving in wretched cells until they 
died for no other crime than that of being poor. While the fathers 
and husbands were thus suffering death, it might be that their 
families were also perishing for the sake of food. 

The project of Oglethorpe, and his own admirable character, 
secured all the friends and help it could need. Indeed it looked 
after a while as if it would have been better had the friends been 
fewer, for they threatened to dwarf if not to kill the grand scheme 
by their overwhelming kindness. 

The province secured by Oglethorpe extended from Savannah 


96 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


on the north to the Altamaha on the south, and, from the sources 
of those rivers westward to the Pacific, with a very hazy idea on 
the part of all as to where the Pacific lay. The highest hopes 
were entertained of the prosperity and success of the new colony, 
for the natural advantages of Georgia are so great that it has long 
been known as the Empire State of the South. 

The Annie , with one hundred and twenty emigrants, sailed 
from Gravesend in November, 1732, and, after a tedious voyage 



GOVERNOR OGLETHORPE AND THE INDIANS 


of fifty-seven days, reached Charleston, where a warm welcome 
awaited the pioneers. The assembly voted the company a large 
number of breeding cattle and other supplies and escorted them 
away as they sailed for Port Royal. Landing at Beaufort, Ogle¬ 
thorpe ascended the river and selected the present site of Savan¬ 
nah. He followed the example of William Penn, bought the 
consent of the Indians, and by his wise course retained their 
friendship. Leaving everything in the most promising shape, he 
sailed for England, after a little more than a year. On his return 



THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF GEORGIA 


97 


to Georgia in the winter of 1735-1736, he brought back a company 
of men, among whom were the revered leaders of Methodism, 
John and Charles Wesley. Charles was the governor’s secretary, 
while John was sent by the trustees as a missionary to the Indians. 

The Wesleys became dissatisfied with the country and soon 
returned to England. George Whitefield, one of the most famous 
preachers of the eighteenth century, came over to take their 
place. He did a most beneficent work in America. 

War with the Spaniards. —The Spanish in Florida were in¬ 
censed at what they looked upon as an intrusion of their territory. 
They insisted that the English should withdraw from the entire 
country south of St. Helena Sound, and threatened dire things in 
case of refusal. As this was a demand to give up all Georgia, 
and a part of South Carolina, Oglethorpe politely, but firmly, 
declined. Knowing the revengeful nature of the Spaniards, Ogle¬ 
thorpe decided to move first. He invaded Florida without wait¬ 
ing for the help of South Carolina. His force consisted of four 
hundred soldiers and a strong party of Indians. He dressed like 
a common soldier, shared the hardships of his men, and was be¬ 
loved by all. 

Fort Diego was invested and captured, and, leaving a garrison 
of sixty men, Oglethorpe pushed forward to Fort Moosa, the more 
important post, and within a couple of miles of St. Augustine. 
He found the fort had been abandoned and the defenders were 
concentrated at the town. Oglethorpe was too weak to attack 
this and went to Charleston to hurry forward the men promised 
by that province. He brought back enough Virginians, and North 
and South Carolinians, to swell his attacking force to two thousand, 
including the Indians. But the fort was very strong, the Indian 
allies deserted, many men fell sick, and finally Oglethorpe himself 
became ill of a fever. All this compelled him to raise the siege. 

The Spaniards in retaliation invaded Georgia in May, 1744. 
They numbered from three to five thousand men, opposed to 
whom, Oglethorpe could muster only about eight hundred, but 
these were handled with such masterly skill, that he inflicted a 

H 


98 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


crushing defeat upon the invaders. The brilliant manner in which 
he conducted this unequal campaign to a triumphant conclusion 
added greatly to his military fame, and brought disgrace to the 
Spaniards. On his return to England, he was raised to the grade 
of major general, and afterward to that of lieutenant general. He 
lived to be nearly one hundred years old and was said to be the 
handsomest old man in all England. People stopped on the 
streets of London to admire him. 

His character was as admirable as his person. He would have 
been given command of the British armies in America at the 
breaking out of the Revolution, but for his well-known chivalrous 
disposition. It was feared that he would not be harsh enough 
with the rebels, for Oglethorpe was always fond of them, and was 
not only a wonderfully skilful soldier but a Christian one. 

Georgia a Royal Province. — Many of the laws governing Georgia 
were impracticable. Prosperity languished, so that in 1752 the 
province contained only three small villages, and the white popu¬ 
lation numbered less than two thousand. The exports were about 
three thousand dollars annually. Industry had ceased and the 
trustees became discouraged. Too much indulgence and mis¬ 
taken kindness had been shown to the colony. So in June, 1752, 
just twenty years after the granting of the charter, the patent was 
surrendered to the crown. The colony took a new start on the 
road to prosperity, and, as we have learned, forged ahead, until in 
the fulness of time Georgia won the proud name of the Empire 
State of the South. 


TOPICS. —Persecution of the Roman Catholics in England; what was done 
by Sir George Calvert; Maryland; the first settlement made; cause of the 
trouble with Virginia; William Clayborne; his conflict with the Marylanders; 
what followed; the liberal course of the Catholics; history of the civil war in 
Maryland; the religious troubles; the final settlement of the disputes; subse¬ 
quent history of Maryland; the grant made by the king of England in 1663; 
the Carolina settlement made in that year; Sir John Yeamans; the Clarendon 
colony; the other immigrants; founding of Charleston; separation of the two 
provinces. 


THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF GEORGIA 


99 


James Edward Oglethorpe; sufferings in England because of imprisonment 
for debt; the project of Oglethorpe; its success; extent of the province; its 
natural advantages; the Annie; assistance given by Charleston; wise course 
of Oglethorpe; the Wesley brothers; Rev. George Whitefield; anger of the 
Spaniards; how Oglethorpe anticipated their action; his success; his failure; 
his final triumph; the admirable qualities of Oglethorpe; cause of the stagna¬ 
tion in the progress of Georgia; its condition in 1752; the step that was 
taken in that year. 

To the Pupil.— Complete the following skeleton history, from what you 
have studied, so as to include all the thirteen colonies, in the order in which 
they were settled: 

SKELETON HISTORY OF PERIOD II 



Name 

When Settled 

Where Settled 

By Whom Settled 

1. 

2. 

3 - 

4 - 

5 * 

6. 

7 - 

8. 

9‘ 

10. 

11. 

12. 

13 - 

Virginia 

1607 

Jamestown 

English 














CHAPTER X 


THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

ARRING Interests of England and France in 
the New World. — As events moved onward, 
England and France became the great rivals 
of each other in the New World. They had 
grown in power and importance at home and 
each pushed its explorations and settlements 
on this side of the Atlantic. It was inevitable 
that the time would come when a tremendous 
and final struggle should take place between them in North 
America. 

Spain discovered the country and made the first permanent 
settlement at St. Augustine in 1565; but England and France 
increased much faster than she did. Spain founded missions 
among the Indians and held fast to many of her possessions, but 
a hundred years after the founding of St. Augustine the Spanish 
population in Florida was less than at first. She continually lost 
ground and the time at last came when she owned not a foot of 
soil on the continent. 

Regarding England and France, matters stood thus at the mid¬ 
dle of the eighteenth century: The settlements of England were 
strung along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida. On the 
ground that the Cabots had discovered America, England claimed 
all the country westward to the Pacific Ocean, a claim which it 
will be noted embraced about all there is of our country to-day. 

France first colonized the valley of.the St. Lawrence. One of 
her oldest towns, Montreal, is five'hundred miles from the sea. 



100 


THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


IOI 


She kept pushing westward and southward. Planting her colonies 
on the shores of the Great Lakes, she extended them to the 
sources of the Wabash, the Illinois, the Wisconsin, the St. Croix 
(croy), and thence down those streams to the Mississippi. Then 
she aimed for the Gulf of Mexico. While the English colonies 
occupied the thousand miles of seacoast named, the French ter¬ 
ritory reached from Canada down the Father of Waters to New 
Orleans. This long line was guarded by more than sixty military 
posts. 

A vast area of country lay between the English and French set¬ 
tlements. Both nations claimed it, and both began colonizing it, 
and it was there that the clash must inevitably come. The Ohio 
valley was destined by nature to be the scene of the opening battle 
between England and France for the possession of North America. 
No thought was given to the rights of the Indians in the matter. 
They having been unwise enough to place themselves between the 
upper and nether millstone had no choice but to be ground to 
powder. 

The trade with the Indians in furs and peltries had long been 
profitable. For many years, traders from Virginia and Pennsyl¬ 
vania made tours to the Indian towns on the upper tributaries of 
the Ohio. In 1749, these men met other traders from Canada 
engaged upon the same business. They scowled at each other, 
and the Englishmen made up their minds to stop the trade of the 
others within their territory. 

Virginia, through her old charter, claimed all the country be¬ 
tween her western borders and Lake Erie, including all the terri¬ 
tory northwest of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi. To 
exclude the intruders, the Ohio Company was formed and received 
a land grant from George II, covering half a million acres, to be 
located either between the Kanawha and the Monongahela, or on 
the northern bank of the Ohio. In granting the land, the king 
ordered its selection at once and required the location of one hun¬ 
dred families upon it within seven years. 

This was prompt work on the part of Virginia, but the French 


102 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


were lpore prompt: Before the Ohio Company could colonize 
the land, Bienville, by order of the governor of Canada, appeared 
on the scene with three hundred men. He began exploring the 
Ohio valley, burying leaden plates at different points along the 
river, as proof that the territory had been pre-empted by France. 
His men went as far west as the Miami (me-am'e) towns, drove 
out the English traders, and forwarded a letter to the governor of 
Pennsylvania, warning him to keep off the lands that belonged to 
the king of France. 

The Ohio Company sent an exploring party to the Ohio oppo¬ 
site the mouth of Beaver Creek. Crossing to the northern bank, 
they advanced to the Great Miami and thence to within a few 
miles of the falls opposite Louisville. The rival parties approached 
closer to each other, collisions took place, and the ill feeling deep¬ 
ened, until the situation was so strained that the different tribes of 
Indians became interested. 

In the spring of 1753, Du Quesne (kane), the French governor 
of Canada, sent twelve hundred men down the Allegheny to colo¬ 
nize that section. This angered the Indian tribes and they pro¬ 
tested. The French coolly replied that the land belonged to them 
and they meant to take it. This reply did not tend to soothe the 
red men. 

The Virginians were greatly roused, but before flying to arms 
Governor Dinwiddie decided to make one more remonstrance. 
He drew up a paper setting forth upon what grounds the English 
claimed the territory, using courteous language, for he was hope¬ 
ful of convincing the French of the injustice* of their course. 

St. Pierre (san-peer' or pe-air'), commander of the French 
forces in the West, was five hundred miles off at Erie, as it is now 
known, in the northwestern corner of the present State of Pennsyl¬ 
vania. The route thither was through an unbroken wilderness. 
The journey, therefore, would be a thousand miles in length* 
through a hostile country, and attended by hardships and dangers 
which no ordinary maji could overcome. 

But Governor Dinwiddie knew who was the right person for the 


THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


103 



delicate and difficult task. He sent for him and the young man 
promptly appeared. There was a great contrast between the two, 
for the governor was a short, fat man, partly bald, and in middle 
life, while the handsome athletic youth who stood before him was 
more than six feet 
tall and the picture 
of manly youth and 
strength. He was 
George Washington. 

George Washington. 

— Washington will al¬ 
ways be regarded as 
the greatest American 
that ever lived. No 
one ever can hold his 
place in the reverence 
and affectionate grati¬ 
tude of his country¬ 
men. It is proper, 
therefore, that we 
should learn a few 
facts about him. 

George Washington 
was born in Westmore¬ 
land county, Virginia, 

February 22, 1732. 

His father died when 
the son was eleven 


years old, and his edu- Washington and governor dinwiddie 

cation was left to his 

excellent mother. He was a truthful boy, who had no superior 
in running, throwing, leaping, swimming, horsemanship, and all 
athletic sports. When only sixteen years old, he was employed 
to survey the valleys of the Allegheny Mountains, and he acquitted 
himself well at the task. At nineteen, he was appointed adjutant 





104 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


general over one of the districts of Virginia, his rank being that 
of major. He studied tactics under his brother and other officers 
and developed exceptional military skill. As a result, when the 
districts of Virginia were reduced to four, he was left in command 
of one. We shall see as we study his career, that he was the 
grandest character in American history. 

On the same day that Washington received his letter and his 
instructions, he set out on his toilsome and dangerous journey 
through the wilderness. He had five companions, all mounted on 
horseback, one being a famous guide of the Ohio Company, 
Christopher Gist by name. 

The start was made on the last day of October, when the woods 
were brilliant with the varied hues of autumn and the season 
delightful. Before long the wind as it moaned among the leafless 
branches brought flurries of snow, which at times almost blinded 
them. Then the fine rain, driven by the gale almost horizontally 
between the trees, turned to sleet and cut their faces like bird 
shot. The camp-fires kindled against rocks or the huge trunks were 
not sufficient to warm their bodies, but all were rugged and strong 
and cared nothing for trials of that kind. When their food gave 
out, they knew how to bring down some of the game that was all 
around them, and they were pleased to find most of the Indians 
whom they met friendly and willing to guide them for a portion at 
least of the journey. 

Washington expected to keep on to Presque Isle (presk-eel) 
before meeting the French commander, but on arriving at Le 
Boeuf (leh-buf'), fourteen miles south, he found him superintend¬ 
ing the building of fortifications. The officer received his visitors 
courteously and read the letter from Governor Dinwiddie. St. 
Pierre being a soldier replied that he was there by orders of his 
superior officers and could not discuss the question. Further¬ 
more, it was his purpose to expel every Englishman from the 
valley of the Ohio. 

The return of the party was attended by dangers and hardships 
tenfold worse than accompanied them in going. It was now the 


THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


105 


depth of winter, the weather was bitterly cold, and the streams 
were filled with floating ice. Often when the men lay down to 
sleep,' their clothing was frozen to their limbs; they struggled 
through the icy creeks and rivers until the packhorses gave out, 
when Washington and Gist gave up their animals and trudged 
forward on foot. 

In crossing one of the rivers on a raft, the pole in Washington’s 
hand was wrenched from his grasp by the masses of grinding ice 
and he was flung into the water, but his skill in swimming saved 
him. 

One day an Indian, who was acting as their guide, levelled his 
gun when barely twenty yards away and fired point blank at 
Washington. Before he could reload or flee Gist seized him by 
the throat. He wanted to kill him for his treachery, but Wash¬ 
ington would not permit. The Indian was kept a prisoner until 
night and then allowed to go. Finally, on the 16th of January, 
x 754, Washington and Gist arrived at Williamsburg, and the reply 
of St. Pierre was placed in the hands of Governor Dinwiddie. 

The Breaking out of War. — The reply meant war and Virginia 
acted promptly. The assembly voted ten thousand pounds for 
fitting out an expedition, one of whose duties was to build a fort at 
the junction of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, so as to pro¬ 
tect the Ohio Company in its operations. But the French antici¬ 
pated this action and erected Fort Du Quesne on the present site 
of Pittsburg. 

Washington moved forward to reconnoitre, leading the way, 
musket in hand. The French commander, Jumonville (zhoo- 
mon-veel), was hiding with his men among the rocks and trees 
awaiting him, but was himself surprised and defeated. Colonel 
Frye soon dying, Washington assumed command and built a stock¬ 
ade, well named Fort Necessity. Attacked by a large force of 
French and Indians, Washington was obliged to surrender, but he 
and his men were released on their promise to leave the country. 

Convention of the Colonies.—A convention of all the colonies was 
held at Albany, New York, June 19, 1754. Twenty-five delegates 


io 6 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

were present, representing every colony north of the Potomac. 
One result was the signing of a treaty with the Iroquois, by which 
they agreed to remain neutral during the hostilities. Benjamin 
Franklin brought forward a plan for the more perfect union of the 
colonies, but it was rejected by the king, who was alarmed at the 
growing tendency to a closer union by his subjects in America. 
Even then the stubborn monarch may have had a glimmering of 
what followed in the course of a few years. 



WASHINGTON’S FIRST VICTORY 


Braddock’s Massacre. — General Braddock led an expedition 
the following spring against Fort Du Quesne, Washington acting 
as his aide-de-camp (kong) . Braddock was a brave officer, but 
puffed up with conceit. Washington warned him that the Indians 
did not fight like white men, but the general took offence and gave 
the young Virginian to understand that he wished no instruction 
from him. When within ten miles of the fort, and while ascend¬ 
ing a slope with thick underbrush on every hand, the stillness was 
broken by the fearful war-whoop, and the concealed Indians 
poured a destructive fire among the troops. The regulars, recov- 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


107 


ering from their panic, fired by platoons at the invisible enemy, 
while Washington and his men leaped among the trees and fought 
in the style of the savages themselves. He begged Braddock to 
do the same, but he was too proud, and continued the unequal 
fight. 

No one could have acted more bravely than the British com¬ 
mander. He had five horses shot under him, and exposed him¬ 
self to every danger. Finally a bullet passed through his lungs 
and brought him to the ground. 

Washington ran to his help. 

“What can be done?” feebly 
asked the officer. 

“ We must retreat at once,” re¬ 
plied Washington. 

The officer was reluctant to do 
so, and rallying slightly continued 
to give orders while reclining on the 
ground. By and by the retreat had to 
be made, and Washington brought 
off the remnant of the once proud 
army. Out of eighty-two officers, 
twenty-six were killed and thirty- 
seven wounded. Of the force of 
two thousand men, one-half were 
killed or disabled, while of the 
French only three officers and thirty men were slain and about 
the same number wounded. 

The only officer of Braddock’s staff unhurt was Washington. 
His escape was remarkable. He was so prominent in the fight, 
that he was singled out as a special target and fired at again and 
again. Four bullets passed through his coat and two horses were 
killed under him, but he was not touched. Heaven must have 
preserved him for the great work he was to perform, for never 
throughout his wonderful career did he receive the slightest 
wound. 






108 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Expulsion of the Acadians. — The disaster was so shocking 
that it spread a gloom not only through the colonies but in Eng¬ 
land. The next step taken by England under the plea of military 
necessity was a cruel act. The simple folk living in Acadia (Nova 
Scotia) were French in their feelings and sympathies. They 


EXPULSION OF THE ACADIANS 

wished to remain neutral in the war, but refused to take the oath 
of allegiance to King George. Because of this, their dwellings 
were burned, and they were driven aboard a number of waiting 
vessels at the point of the bayonet. Families were broken up in 
the confusion and never reunited. Seven thousand of the poor 
people were distributed among the colonies, and untold suffering 
was inflicted. 






THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


IO9 



Success of the French. — Sir William Johnson captured Crown 
Point for the English. General Dieskau (dees'cow ) was badly- 
wounded and was sitting on a stump giving orders, when he was 
approached by a Frenchman fighting with the Americans. Dies¬ 
kau began feeling for his watch to give to his 
captor, when the latter, supposing he was 
about to draw his pistol, fired and mortally 
wounded him. 


The victory was of little 
moment for the English, and 
for two years the French 
were almost uniformly suc¬ 
cessful. It seemed indeed 
as if England would be 
forced to give up all her 
possessions in America. At 
the close of 1757, France 
held twenty times as much 
territory as at first, and was 
still gaining ground. 

In the summer of the 
year named, Fort William 
Henry was compelled to 
surrender. The English were guaranteed a safe escort to Fort 
Edward, fourteen miles away, but had hardly started when the 
Indians attacked them. Montcalm and his officers strove des¬ 
perately to restrain the savages, the distressed commander calling 
upon them to kill him but to spare the captives, whom he had 
promised to protect. Thirty of the English were tomahawked 
and others dragged off to captivity. 

England’s Triumph. — Brighter days came with 1758. Wil¬ 
liam Pitt had become prime minister of England and was a firm 
friend of the colonies. An army of twenty-two thousand British 
regulars and twenty-eight thousand colonial troops was raised for 
the prosecution of the war. Fort Du Quesne was evacuated by 


SHOOTING OF DIESKAU 









110 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



the French, and when occupied by the provincials was named 
Pittsburg in honor of England’s prime minister. 

To Washington was due the chief glory of expelling the French 
from Fort Du Quesne. He himself planted the English flag on 
the ramparts. On his return to Virginia, he was elected to the 
house of burgesses. He had just sat down, when the speaker, 
in the name of Virginia, returned thanks to him for his services 


EVACUATION OF FORT DU QUESNE 

to his country. Washington had no thought of anything of the 
kind, and blushed like a school-boy. He rose to his feet to 
reply and became more embarrassed and confused. 

“Sit down, Mr. Washington,” said the speaker, kindly, “your 
modesty equals your valor, and that surpasses the power of 
language to express.” 

It will be remembered that the immense fortress of Louisburg 
had been returned to the French on the conclusion of King 
George’s war in 1748. It was recaptured during the campaign 





THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


III 


of 1758 by Generals Amherst and Wolfe, after a severe struggle. 
But the incompetent Abercrombie was driven from before Fort 
Ticonderoga, though he had the larger army, numbering fifteen 
thousand men. 

The year brought the final and decisive campaign. Forts 
Niagara, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga soon fell. France was 
feebly supporting her armies in America, while England gathered 
all her mighty energies for their 
overthrow. General Wolfe, 
with eight thousand men and 
a powerful fleet, laid siege to 
Quebec. Canada was impov¬ 
erished, food was scarce, and 
Montcalm had received no 
reinforcements from home. 

The task undertaken by 
Wolfe looked impossible. 

Quebec, standing on a high 
promontory at the junction of 
the St. Lawrence and the St. 

Charles, seemed safe against 
any assault. The citadel is 
three hundred and forty-five 
feet above the river, and the 
fortifications, extending al¬ 
most across the peninsula, en¬ 
close a circuit of three miles. 

Week after week Wolfe searched in vain for some path by 
which to climb to the Heights of Abraham, as the plain is called. 
Montcalm was on the alert. He slept only a few minutes at a 
time, and when he could keep awake no longer. He did not 
wholly remove his clothing for several days, and kept his horses 
continually saddled, ready to dash at any moment to the spot 
where needed. 

Finally Wolfe discovered the narrow path for which he had 









112 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


been searching so long. In the darkness of night his army 
silently climbed to the Heights of Abraham, and when the sun 
rose, the astounded Montcalm and his officers saw the sunlight 
reflected from the thousands of gleaming bayonets where the 
English army were drawn up in battle array. 

The opposing forces were about equal in number. The im¬ 
petuous Montcalm assailed the English with his usual bravery, 
and for a time the issue was doubtful. At the critical moment, 
Wolfe led a bayonet charge. He was twice wounded, but cheered 
his men on until mortally hurt by a third bullet. Leaning on a 

brother officer, he was 
painfully moving to the 
rear, when one of his 
men exclaimed: “They 
run! they run! ” “ Who 
run?” asked Wolfe, in 
a faint voice. “The 
French,” was the reply. 
“God be praised! now 
I can die happy,” he 
murmured with a smile, 
and soon afterward ex¬ 
pired. 

Strange to say, Mont¬ 
calm was mortally wounded almost at the same moment that 
Wolfe was stricken down. He received two bad injuries, and 
was told by the surgeon that he had but a short time to live. 
“So much the better,” he replied; “I shall not see the surrender 
of Quebec.” He passed away a short time before daylight of 
the 14th. Quebec surrendered on the 18th of September, and 
Montreal was captured about a year later. In February, 1763, 
England and France signed a treaty of peace at Paris, by which 
France gave to England all her possessions east of the Missis¬ 
sippi, except two small islands south of Newfoundland. She 
ceded New Orleans and all her territory west of the Mississippi 




THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 


113 


to Spain, thus leaving her successful rival virtual master in the 
New World. 

It was a bitter humiliation for France, but her course was a 
wise one. She saw that the colonies were growing fast in strength 
and self-confidence and before 
many years would demand their 
independence. Not only that, but 
they would be quite certain to gain 
it at the cost of immense treasure 
and loss of life to the nation claim¬ 
ing them as her subjects. 

The Conspiracy of Pontiac. — 

Pontiac, chief of the Ottawas, was 
one of the great Indians of history. 

He hated the English, and when 
they took possession of the surren¬ 
dered posts in the West, he formed 
a conspiracy for the massacre of 
all the garrisons. He conducted 
the campaign with much skill, and 
several of the forts were captured. 

He besieged Detroit for a number 
of months, and more than once it 
was in great danger; but finally the confederacy of Indians was 
broken and peace firmly established. Pontiac was assassinated 
on the spot where East St. Louis now stands, in 1769, by a Kas- 
kaskia Indian, bribed thereto by an English trader. Thus, like 
King Philip, he fell by the hand of one of his own race. 



WOLFE’S MONUMENT 


TOPICS. — England and France as rivals in the New World; the decline of 
Spain; the situation as regarded England and France; the system of colo¬ 
nization followed by France; by England; the disputed territory; the rights 
of the Indians; the fur trade; the claim of Virginia; the Ohio Company; 
how the French anticipated the work of Virginia; the exploring party sent 
by the Ohio Company; the action of Governor Du Quesne; the decision of 
Governor Dinwiddie. 


1 







A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


114 

George Washington; the facts regarding his birth and his character; the 
story of his journey through the wilderness to Fort Le Boeuf; the return jour¬ 
ney; breaking out of the French and Indian war; Washington’s first battle; 
the affair at Fort Necessity; convention of the colonies at Albany, New York; 
Franklin’s plan for a more perfect union; General Braddock; the account of 
his massacre; the service performed by Washington; expulsion of the Cana.- 
dians; success of the French; death of Dieskau; the situation at the close 
of 1757; Fort William Henry; massacre of the prisoners; William Pitt; 
Washington’s part in expelling the French from Fort Du Quesne; his election 
to the house of burgesses; anecdote relating thereto; the campaign of 1759; 
the task of General Wolfe; how Quebec was captured; death of Wolfe; of 
Montcalm; the treaty of 1763; its terms; why the course of France was a 
wise one; the conspiracy of Pontiac. 


CHAPTER XI 


HOME LIFE IN THE COLONIES 

■HE Households of the Olden Times.—There 
was much that was interesting in the home 
life of our forefathers. Having learned 
what they did in the way of making history, 
from the first settlement down to the eve of 
the Revolution, let us see how it was with 
the boys and girls and their parents when 
within their homes. 

In the first place, the houses in which the people lived were 
very different from those of to-day. In the earliest times they 
were made of logs, dovetailed at the corners, the chinks filled 
with clay, and put together as strongly as possible, because often 
they had to serve as forts against the Indians. The windows 
were small and narrow, so as to allow them to be used as 
portholes and to prevent an enemy from climbing through. 
Glass was so hard to obtain that oiled paper generally answered 
for panes. The interior rarely contained more than two or 
three rooms. The upper one, which was usually open and 
occupied only a part of the second story, was reached by a 
ladder which served for stairs. 

The fireplace was wide, and the roaring flames burned a huge 
quantity of knots and logs of wood. This created a good deal 
of heat, but most of it passed up the chimney. In wintry weather 
the room would be chilly within a few feet of the fire. Accord¬ 
ingly, seats were fixed in the fireplace and something like comfort 
secured. 

Carpets were not used at first. The bare floor was strewn with 

JI 5 






II6 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

white sand, which the thrifty housewife wrought into pretty designs 
with her broom. Sometimes the floor was only the hard, smooth 
earth. A few benches, a table, and stools made up the furniture. 
The big wooden latch of the door was lifted by means of a string 
shoved through a hole and left hanging outside. At night the 
door was locked by drawing in the string. 

For a long time no forks were used. The food was cut with 
a knife and handled with the fingers, after being placed on blocks 
of wood. By and by, however, pewter plates came into use, and 

were kept polished 
and bright as a mir¬ 
ror. From the iron 
crane in the fire¬ 
place were hung the 
pots and kettles, 
and the cooking was 
done on a skillet 
or a griddle stand¬ 
ing on legs, under 
which the glowing 
coals were raked. 

Coffee and tea were luxuries denied at the beginning. Most 
families brewed their own beer. The well-to-do, who had 
brought their massive furniture and silverware across the sea, 
imported Madeira wine, but hard cider and rum were the most 
common drinks. The only condition required by the church was 
that none of its members should drink to excess. 

The Money used. — Money was scarce. Business was done 
almost wholly by barter. Eggs, chickens, or produce were ex¬ 
changed for whatever might be wanted at the store. In 1635, 
bullets were used for farthings. Massachusetts set up a mint in 
1652 and was the only colony that coined money. The coins 
were known as the pine-tree shillings, sixpences, etc., because a 
pine tree formed the design upon them. For thirty years all the 
coins bore the same date. 



A NEW ENGLAND KITCHEN 



HOME LIFE IN THE COLONIES 


II 7 


The Dress. —The trousers of our great-grandfathers, even after 
the Revolution, ended at the knee, below which were the stock¬ 
ings and shoes. The trousers of the poor folks were made of 
coarse cloth, and sometimes of deerskin or leather. The wealthy 
used fine silk or velvet caps, gold and silver shoe and knee 
buckles, lace ruffles, and elaborate embroidery. The coat 
reached to the knees and was fastened in front with buttons, 
clasps, or hooks and eyes and decorated with gold lace. Then 
with a pleated stock of fine cambric around the throat, with a 
large silver buckle at the back of the neck, a broad-brimmed, 
sugar-loaf hat, from beneath which rippled the curls of the 
bleached or powdered wig, and with a brilliant red cloak the 
New Englander made a genteel appearance. 

The women dressed much as they do to-day; that is to say, 
the fashions often changed. Certain styles would be in vogue 
for a time and then give place to others, which in turn were sup¬ 
planted by still others. It may be said that fashions travel in 
circles. The costumes of the boys and girls resembled those of 
their parents, some of the present ones being close copies of 
what was common many years ago. 

Methods of Travel. — The common mode of travel was by foot 
or on horseback. The roads were poor, and most of the streams 
had to be crossed by fording or by ferry. Chaises were seen, 
and the gigs, with their big wheels and bodies hung low on 
wooden springs, occasionally bobbed around the country. Those 
living near the coast generally journeyed on sloops. The voyage 
from New York to Philadelphia could be made, with favoring 
winds, in two or three days; now it is done in two hours. 



In New England. —The early New Englanders were very strict 
as to their religious opinions and attendance at church, and their 
morals were looked after by church and State. The rule of the 
minister was almost absolute. A church reproof was the deepest 
disgrace that could befall a person. The profane man was stood 
in a public place, with his tongue squeezed in a cleft stick, and 
left to meditate upon his wickedness. The head of a household 


i iB 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


who broke up some sticks to rekindle his fire one Sunday was 
called to stern account for violating the sanctity of the day. If 
a man’s profanity was too shocking, he was set in the stocks, 
fined, or imprisoned. Scolding women were gagged and placed 

in front of their own 
doors for all to scoff 
at. If that failed to 
work a cure, they were 
ducked or soused in 
running water. 

Public Worship. — 
The meeting - houses 
were small and as 
plain as they could be 
made. The suggestion 
of a carpet, cushioned 
seats, or instrument¬ 
al music would have 
shocked the good folk. 
In the early days of 
Plymouth, worshippers 
were summoned by tap 
of drum. Men and 
women were not al¬ 
lowed to sit together. 
The boys were perched 
on the pulpit stairs or 
in the galleries, where 
the constable or tith- 

PURITANS 

mg man kept a sharp 
eye on them. The popular length of a sermon was one hour, 
and the sexton turned the hour-glass on the minister’s desk, but 
the sermons were often two, three, or even more hours in length. 

If a boy became drowsy and nodded his head, he received a 
tap from the end of the stick held by the vigilant constable. On 











HOME LIFE IN THE COLONIES 119 

that end of the stick was tied the foot of a hare. On the other 
end was the tail of the animal, which was brushed against the 
forehead of the wearied mother who allowed her eyes to close for 
a few minutes. No matter how cold the weather, the only fires 
permitted in the church were the warming contrivances brought 
by the people and placed at their feet. Sunday-schools were 
unknown until the nineteenth century. 

The Holidays.—Thanksgiving and, later, Christmas (frowned 
upon at first) were marked by family reunions, good cheer, and 
much merriment. Weddings were times of great rejoicing, the 
festivities sometimes lasting for one or two days. There was 
plenty of feasting and drinking at funerals. Training day was a 
great event. All the men from sixteen to sixty years of age had 
to take part. At Plymouth the exercises or drill were always 
begun and closed with prayer. During the seventeenth century 
the guns were of the clumsy matchlock pattern. This was sup¬ 
planted by the flintlock, which was used to some extent by our 
troops as late as the war with Mexico. Lucifer matches did not 
take the place of the flint and steel until well on in the nineteenth 
century. 

The Dutch in New York. — The Dutch were an easy-tempered, 
good-natured, moral people, resembling the New Englanders in 
one respect — their extreme neatness. They almost wore out the 
floors from continual scrubbing. The cows were kept as clean 
as the children, and sometimes their tails were decorated with 
ribbons. Their home life in the colonies was much the same as 
it is to-day in Holland. 

In the South. — Though similar at first, there soon grew up a 
wide difference between life in New England and in the South. 
The Virginians, who constituted the real South until the Revolu¬ 
tion, developed a taste for cock-fighting, bull-baiting, horse-rac¬ 
ing, and fox-hunting, which form of amusements was not tolerated 
in New England. The best of horses were imported and trained 
for the exciting contests of speed. The people were very hos¬ 
pitable. The master of a plantation would send his servant at 


120 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


nightfall to the crossing of the highways to bring to his house 
such travellers as he might see. These were made welcome, no 
matter how long they chose to stay, and hospitality has always 
been a notable characteristic of the Southern people. 

Relaxation of Rigor. —The eighteenth century brought with it 
a softening of Puritan rigor. Popular assemblies, as they were 
called, were introduced in Boston in 1740, at which were music 
and dancing. A theatrical performance, however, about the same 



time, caused so much indignation that Massachusetts hastened 
to pass a law which banished the drama for nearly a generation. 

Changes of Fashion.—Wigs went out of fashion about the 
middle of the eighteenth century, when umbrellas came into use. 
Previous to that men wore “rain coats,” and the women used 
“quintasols,” small articles resembling a parasol, introduced from 
India. A marked improvement in houses, too, began to appear. 
Large mirrors, marble tables, and Turkey carpets were seen in 
the fine stone mansions of the wealthy. The spinning-wheel kept 
its place so long that it is still found among the valued relics in 
many old families. The small wheel, worked by the foot, was 







HOME LIFE IN THE COLONIES 


121 


for spinning linen thread, while the large wheel, turned by hand, 
was for woollen yarn. 

The Schools. — The schools were poor affairs. They were not 
graded, and the teacher, as a rule, was a man of little learning, 
harsh and tyrannical, rarely with any love for his work, and with 
no sympathy for those intrusted to his care. His long switch, 
or “gad,” rested on his rough desk in front of him, when he was 
not vigorously using it; for no one insisted more strongly than 
he that sparing the rod spoiled the child, and he was as severe 
to the girl as to the boy who violated his rules. If the man was 
fond of his pipe, he did not hesitate to smoke it during school 
hours. If the little boys and girls coughed too much or showed 
their displeasure, they were likely to feel the switch about their 
shoulders. 

School hours lasted from eight o’clock until five, or even later, 
with one or two hours’ intermission at noon. Instead of the long 
summer vacation now universal, two weeks in August were con¬ 
sidered abundant time for boys and girls to run wild. I have 
attended school on the 4th of July. During the Christmas holi¬ 
days, as they were called, Christmas was the only day on which 
the school was closed. If that happened to fall on Sunday, as 
it seemed to have a tendency to do, the disappointment can be 
imagined. The Saturday holiday is a modern innovation. It is 
not so long since every other Saturday, or every half Saturday, 
was the rule. Many a boy has walked straight home from his 
country school when it closed in the afternoon and made the 
latter part of the journey by moonlight. 

And yet boys and girls are the same the world over and at all 
times. When our grandparents were young, they found as much 
entertainment as the lads and lassies do in these days. The May 
parties, the skating, snow-balling, the game of ball (quite differ¬ 
ent from the game as now played), fishing, hunting, shooting- 
matches, and many other methods of amusement were all enjoyed 
to their full; and though the benches at school were hard, the 
room crowded and ill-ventilated, the teacher often severe, the 


122 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


church service tedious, and the parents stern and strict, the pupils 
grew up to be good men and women, many of whom won for 
themselves honored names in the history of our country. 

TOPICS. —The houses of the olden time; the interior; the fireplace; car¬ 
pets; the furniture; knives and forks; how the cooking was done; coffee 
and tea; the drinks; money; how trade was carried on; the dress of the 
poor people; of the wealthy; of the women; costumes of the boys and girls. 

The different methods of travelling; church attendance in New England; 
the rule of the minister; how profanity was punished; what was done with a 
scolding woman; the meeting-houses; a description of church service in colo¬ 
nial times; the discomforts in church; the holidays; weddings and funerals; 
training day; the firearms; lucifer matches; the Dutch in New York; life in 
the South; hospitality of the people; a relaxation of rigor; some of the 
changes in fashion; the old-fashioned school-house: the teacher; the school 
hours; vacations; some of the means by which our ancestors found entertain¬ 
ment and enjoyment. 


Part III 

THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 


CHAPTER XII 

OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 

^HE Strength of the Colonies.—The French and 
Indian war was the training-school of the 
officers and soldiers of the Revolution. It 
gave them all-important military knowledge 
and experience and taught them their own 
strength. Our forefathers came across the 
Atlantic in search of civil liberty, and nothing 
could prevent their final separation from the 
mother country. But had England treated the colonies with 
justice, the separation would have been deferred, and, when it 
came, probably would have been a peaceable one; but Great 
Britain acted as if she meant to goad us to resistance, and she 
succeeded. 

In 1766, Benjamin Franklin estimated the number of white 
men between the ages of sixteen and sixty years in the origi¬ 
nal thirteen colonies to be three hundred thousand. At one 
time there were nearly twenty-five thousand men under arms. 
Although there was a wide difference of character among the 
colonists, they were drawn together by a common destiny. Free 
schools were established in New England, and private institu¬ 
tions of learning were scattered throughout the country. Harvard 

123 



124 A HISTORY of our country 

College, established in 1638, was succeeded by William and 
Mary in Virginia in 1692; Yale in Connecticut in 1700; Prince¬ 
ton in New Jersey in 1746; King’s (now Columbia) in New 
York in 1754; Brown in Rhode Island in 1764; while Queen’s 
(now Rutgers), Dartmouth, and Hampden-Sidney soon appeared, 
and did their part in the education of the rising generation. 
The first medical college was founded in Philadelphia in 1764. 

But compared with what it is to-day, our country was but a 
young giant in its infancy. The population of New York city 
was about twelve thousand, and of Boston and Philadelphia barely 
eighteen thousand each. There was not an important town south 
of Philadelphia, and the villages and hamlets were few. 

Causes of the Revolution. —The prosperity of the colonies was 
seriously crippled by the Navigation Act passed in the seventeenth 
century. It was often evaded, but the people were too weak to 
enforce its repeal. The Importation Act of 1733 laid oppressive 
duties on sugar, molasses, and rum brought into the country, and 
in 1750 the manufacture of steel was forbidden, and the felling 
of pines outside of enclosures was prohibited. 

Attempts to enforce the Importation Act in 1761 caused great 
indignation among the people. Writs of Assistance, issued by 
the colonial courts, empowered petty constables to search any 
house to seize goods upon which there was reason to believe duty 
had not been paid. The Americans claimed that their own 
assemblies had the right to decide what taxes and customs should 
be raised. England would not permit this, but kept the right to 
herself. Her law-making body was the parliament, and she would 
not allow the Americans to have a member in it. Since this 
deprived our people of the right to take any part in taxing them¬ 
selves, it was “taxation without representation,” a phrase of 
which great use was made in forming a list of grievances against 
the mother country. 

The Stamp Act. — Qn the 22d of March, 1765, England passed 
the Stamp Act, which was the direct cause of the Revolution. 
The colonies expended sixteen million dollars during the French 


OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 


25 


and Indian war, of which England repaid only five million dol¬ 
lars. She now determined to compel the Americans to raise the 
rest through her system of taxation. The Stamp Act ordered 
that stamps should be bought of the British government and put 
on all legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, etc. 

The resentment of the Americans was not confined to words. 
They mobbed the houses of the British officials, hanged some in 
effigy, destroyed the odious stamps, and caused so great a turmoil 
that the agents hastened to resign to save their lives. England 
was frightened by the storm she had raised, and repealed the act 
in 1766. Her surrender caused rejoicing throughout the country. 

The First Colonial Congress. — The first colonial congress was 
held in New York, from October 7 to October 25, 1765. Twenty- 
eight delegates were present, representing Massachusetts, Rhode 
Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, South Carolina, 
Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. New Hampshire and 
Georgia pledged themselves to stand by the action of the con¬ 
gress. It adopted a Declaration of Rights, expressing its 
loyalty to England, but affirming that the people would never 
consent to taxation without representation. 

The Boston Massacre.—The rejoicing over the repeal of the 
Stamp Act did not last long. England passed another law, affirm¬ 
ing her right to tax the colonies. Troops were quartered on 
them at their own expense. This was intolerable. On the even¬ 
ing of March 5, 1770, a collision took place between the sol¬ 
diers and a mob in the streets of Boston, in which Samuel Gray 
and a half-breed Indian, named Attucks, were killed at the first fire 
of the troops. Another citizen fell, and eight were wounded, 
two of them afterward dying. This is known in history as the 
Boston Massacre. The anger of the people was so intense that 
the governor removed the soldiers from the city. 

It was on the day of the Boston Massacre that the English 
parliament repealed the duty on all American imports except 
tea. This exception was made to show the colonies that Eng¬ 
land did not mean to give up the right of taxation. But the 


126 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



Americans were fighting for a principle, and though the tea, 
including the tax, was cheaper in America than it was in Eng¬ 
land without the tax, they would have none of it. The cargoes 
sent to New York and Philadelphia were not allowed to be landed, 
and at Charleston the tea was stored in damp cellars, where it 
soon spoiled. 


BOSTON MASSACRE 

The Boston Tea Party. — On the night of December 16, 1773, 
fifty or more men, painted and disguised as Indians, marched 
from near the Old South Church and boarded the three vessels 
lying in Boston harbor, loaded with tea. In the course of a few 
hours three hundred and forty-two chests were emptied into the 
water. Then the “ Mohawks ” quietly separated to their homes, 
keeping their secret so well that, outside the actors themselves, 
no one was ever able to name a half-dozen who took part in the 
famous Boston Tea Party. 





OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 


127 



FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS 

met in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774* 
Representatives from all the colonies 
were present, except from Georgia, whose 
loyalist governor succeeded in preventing 
an election. Among the fifty-three mem¬ 
bers were some of the ablest men in the 
country, such as George Washington, 
Samuel and John Adams, Patrick Henry, 
John Hancock, and Richard Henry Lee. 
They pledged themselves to support Mas¬ 
sachusetts in her struggle against the 


Retaliation by Eng¬ 
land. — England now 
lost her patience and 
adopted retaliatory 
measures. She closed 
the port of Boston in 
the following year and 
appointed General 
Gage military governor 
of Massachusetts. The 
closing of the port 
caused much suffering, 
but Massachusetts had 
the sympathy of her 
sister colonies, who 
gave her help. Other 
oppressive measures 
were carried out, and 
General Gage brought 
a powerful army with 
which to bring the 
“rebels” to terms. 

The First Continental 
Congress. — This body 



JOHN HANCOCK 







128 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



British ministry, and a resolution was adopted, favoring the 
cessation of all commercial intercourse with Great Britain until 
the colonies should receive justice at her hands. 

The Battle of Lexington.—The citizens of Boston secretly 
removed ammunition to Concord, about twenty miles to the 
northwest. Learning of this, General Gage prepared to capture 
or destroy the stores. Late on the night of April 18, 1775, he 


MAJOR PITCAIRN AND THE MINUTE-MEN 

sent out a body of eight hundred regulars, under the command 
of Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn. They moved 
cautiously, so as to surprise the patriots, but failed to do so. 

The moon shone from a clear sky. British guards were sta¬ 
tioned along the roads leading out of the city, to prevent any one 
giving the alarm. Suddenly two points of light flashed in the 
belfry of the Old North Church, and the many anxious eyes watch¬ 
ing for the signal knew what it meant. Paul Revere, leaping 





OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 


129 



into the saddle started his horse on a dead run. Efforts were 
made to check him, but he speedily reached the open country 
on his mission to alarm the people. 

Meanwhile the British troops were 
pushing rapidly forward. Observing 
the general uprising, Colonel Smith 
sent for reinforcements. General 
Gage despatched them at nine o’clock 
in the morning. They consisted of a 
brigade, which took the roundabout 
route through Roxbury and Brook¬ 
line. 

When the soldiers reached Lexing¬ 
ton, the minute-men were gathering 
from all directions. It was beginning 
to grow light. Major Pitcairn in 
vigorous language ordered the rebels 
to disperse. Who fired the first shot 
is not known, but a skirmish was 
quickly started, in which eight Ameri¬ 
cans were killed and several wounded. 

Then the troops marched to Concord, 
where they found the men hiding 
military stores, while women and 
children were running to the woods 
for shelter. The angry minute-men 
were forming, and another collision 
was imminent. The stores having 
been destroyed, the. British started 
back to Boston. 

Every man who had a weapon now 
began firing at the “ red coats. ” From 
behind fences, stone walls, trees, 

bushes, and everything that offered a chance for taking aim, the 
Americans, white with anger because of the slaughter at Lexing- 


OLD NORTH CHURCH, BOSTON 







130 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



ton, fired as fast as they could load and sight their guns. 
Their deadly aim destroyed the discipline of the troops, and 
probably all would have been captured or killed but for the 
arrival of the reinforcements. Under their protection the 
retreat was continued and Boston finally reached. 

As nearly as can be 
ascertained, the loss 
of the Americans in 
the battle of Lexing¬ 
ton, which opened the 
Revolution, was forty- 
nine killed, thirty-six 
wounded, and five 
missing. The English 
had sixty-five killed, 
one hundred and 
seventy-eight wound¬ 
ed, and twenty-six 
missing. Swift mes¬ 
sengers rode in all 
directions through the 
colonies, carrying the 
momentous tidings 
that the struggle for 
American indepen¬ 
dence had begun. 
The news set the 
people aflame with 
patriotic excitement. 
Men dropped whatever they had in hand and hastened to 
Boston, where, in a short time, twenty thousand men were 
gathered around the city engaged in throwing up intrench- 
ments to prevent the British from leaving. 

Capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. — The stirring doings 
were not confined to the vicinity of Boston. Some time before 


OLD BELFRY, LEXINGTON 




OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 131 

the battle of Lexington, Connecticut voted to appropriate a 
thousand dollars toward the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown 
Point. The former fort was an important one, holding one 
hundred and twenty cannon, and had 
cost Great Britain several million dol¬ 
lars. 

On the evening of May 9, about 
three hundred men, under Ethan Allen 
and Benedict Arnold, marched secretly 
against Ticonderoga. The garrison was 
taken completely by surprise. When 
the British colonel was summoned 
from his bed by the tumult, and stared 
through the door, with his startled 
wife peeping over his shoulder, he 
was confronted by his old acquaint¬ 
ance, Allen, who compelled him to 
surrender at once. Crown Point, 
of less importance, was captured two 
days later. 

Assembling of the Second Continental Congress. — On the 
morning of the capture of Ticonderoga, the second continental 
congress assembled in Philadelphia. It voted to raise a force 
of twenty thousand men and to issue three million dollars in paper 
money for carrying'on the war. Washington, to his own aston¬ 
ishment and embarrassment, was made commander-in-chief. 
His modesty prompted him to decline, but his patriotism would 
not permit, and thus he was fairly entered upon his illustrious 
career. 

One fact about Washington should never be forgotten. For 
his inestimable services through the trying days and years of the 
Revolution he never accepted a penny by way of payment. All 
that he asked was that his expenses should be met. He kept 
strict account of every dollar received from the government, but 
was not so careful in noting what he paid out. When he found 





132 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


his account “short,” he balanced it by taking the deficiency from 
his own funds. So it is safe to say that he not only secured our 
independence, but paid for the privilege of doing so. 

Congress also appointed a number of major generals, brigadier 
generals, and made Horatio Gates adjutant general. He and 
Washington set out for Cambridge to take charge of the army 
there. Upon reaching New York, they heard for the first time 
the news of the battle of Bunker Hill. 

The Battle of Bunker Hill. — It was on the 25th of May that 
General Gage was joined in Boston by Generals Howe, Clinton, 
and Burgoyne, who brought reinforcements to the force, which 
was already considerable. The British decided to fortify Dor¬ 
chester Heights and Bunker Hill, which overlooked the city. 
Learning of this, the Americans determined to anticipate them. 
General Artemas Ward, in command of the patriot camp, ordered 
Colonel Prescott, with one thousand men, to occupy Bunker Hill. 

The start was made on the evening of June 16. The men first 
assembled at Cambridge, where President Langdon of Harvard 
College offered a prayer for the success of the expedition. Inas¬ 
much as Breed’s Hill was a half-mile nearer the city than Bunker 
Hill, it was decided that it was the better location. The men 
wrought so quietly that no alarm was given. At daylight, when 
the British saw what had been done, they opened fire on the 
earthworks, but the Americans did not cease work until the 
intrenchments were completed. 

General Gage saw that unless these works were captured, he 
would have to abandon the city, for he would be at the mercy of 
the patriots. The intrenchments were defended by fifteen hun¬ 
dred undisciplined troops under a brave leader with little skill, 
while the forces sent against them were double that number, and, 
with their veteran leaders, had helped to win more than one 
famous victory in Europe. On the other hand, the earthworks 
gave the Americans the advantage of a strong position. 

It was between two and three o’clock on the afternoon of 
June 17, 1775, that the British advanced to the assault. They 


OPENING OF THE DEVOLUTION 


133 



kept step to their stirring music, except when some slight con¬ 
fusion was caused by a brief pause to clear away the fences and 
obstructions. They advanced in two lines, their brilliant uni¬ 
forms and beautiful, even marching making the sight a thrilling 
one. I he housetops and steeples in Boston were black with 
people anxiously watching the scene. 

The enemy moved slowly, so as to give the artillery opportunity 
to bombard the works. From the ships this was continuous, as 
well as from the 
floating batteries in 
the harbor. As the 


FANEUIL HALL 


BUNKER HILL MONUMENT 


troops drew near the re¬ 
doubts, they began firing by 
platoons, but the patriots 
waited. “Don’t fire till 
you see the whites of their 
eyes! ” was the order of Prescott, who held his men mute until 
the enemy was within fifty yards. Then, circling his sword over 
his head, he shouted, “Fire / ” 

The outblast of flame mowed down the ranks, and the troops 
broke and fled in disorder to the bottom of the hill. There they 
were rallied, only to be driven back a second time by the wither¬ 
ing fire. Once again, but with difficulty, they were rallied, and 
came up the slope on the double quick with fixed bayonets. By 
















134 A HISTORY of our country 

this time the rapid fire of the patriots had exhausted their ammu¬ 
nition. Clubbing their muskets, they fought with desperation, 
but were driven out of their intrenchments. The battle of Bunker 
Hill was over and was a defeat for the Americans. 

The loss of the patriots was one hundred and fifty killed, two 
hundred and seventy wounded, and thirty taken prisoners. The 
British loss, as stated by General Gage, was two hundred and 


WASHINGTON ASSUMES COMMAND 

twenty-four killed and eight hundred and thirty wounded. 
Among the British who fell was Major Pitcairn, and among the 
Americans, Joseph Warren, who, although he bore a major 
general’s commission in his pocket, served as a volunteer in the 
redoubt. 

Effect of the Defeat. — The moral effect of the battle of Bunker 
Hill upon the Americans was better than a victory. It saved 
them from the peril of overconfidence, while it served to draw 
all closer to one another and to make them more resolute in their 







OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 135 

struggle for liberty. They knew the cost and were willing to 
pay it. They had learned, too, not to be afraid of the British 
regulars. 

Washington assumes Command. — Washington reached Cam¬ 
bridge on Sunday, July 3, and the following day, under the his¬ 
toric elm, assumed command of the army. He was sorely needed. 


EXPEDITION INTO CANADA 

The thousands of men were without discipline, but most of them 
were eager to serve their country. They were of the right sort, 
but required moulding into effective form, and Washington set 
to work to train the patriots for duty. 

Montgomery’s Expedition into Canada. —While the siege of 
Boston was pressed, an expedition was organized for the invasion 
of Canada, under General Philip Schuyler. He falling ill, the 
command devolved upon Richard Montgomery, a brave Irish- 




A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


.136 

man, who had had military experience. He captured St. John, 
at the foot of Lake Champlain, then pushed on and took Mon¬ 
treal, and in the depth of winter forced his way through snow 
and ice to the front of Quebec. 

Meanwhile, Benedict Arnold had ascended the Kennebec with 
a small force and was fighting his way, amid almost incredible 
suffering and hardship, through the wilderness. Gaunt, ragged, 
and half-starving, they reached the bank of the St. Lawrence 
opposite Quebec, November 10. Arnold led his men up the 
same path that Wolfe and his troops had climbed sixteen years 
before to the Heights # of Abraham. Notwithstanding the fact 
that the force behind the walls had two hundred cannon, and 
were more than three times as numerous as the Americans, Arnold 
summoned General Carleton, the commander, to surrender. 

Montgomery soon arrived and took command. The siege was 
pressed without the slightest promise of success, and on the last 
day of the year everything was risked upon an assault. Mont¬ 
gomery was killed, Arnold badly wounded, and most of the at¬ 
tacking force were compelled to surrender. Those who escaped 
kept up the siege until May, when the British forces scattered 
them right and left. Carleton was filled with pity for their suffer¬ 
ings, and, gathering up all that could be found, placed them in 
the hospitals, where they received the best of care, and when able 
to travel were allowed to return to their homes. The invasion 
of Canada was a complete failure. 


TOPICS. —Strength of the colonies; the unwise course of England; Benja¬ 
min Franklin’s estimate; the principal educational institutions; New York, 
Boston, and Philadelphia; the Navigation Act; the Importation Act; Writs 
of Assistance; taxation without representation; history of the Stamp Act; the 
first colonial congress. 

The Boston Massacre; the tax on tea; fate of the different cargoes of tea 
sent to this country; the Boston Tea Party; the retaliatory acts by England; 
sympathy of other colonies for Massachusetts; General Gage; the second 
continental congress; its leading members; the story of the battle of Lexing¬ 
ton; the losses on each side; Ticonderoga and Crown Point; reassembling 



I 


DEATH OF MONTGOMERY 









138 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


of the second continental congress; its important action; one fact about 
Washington; what caused the battle of Bunker Hill; the story of the battle; 
its effect upon the Americans; assumption of command by Washington; the 
force under him; Montgomery’s expedition into Canada; Benedict Arnold’s 
part; result of the invasion. 

Biographical Notes. — Benjamin Franklin, one of the greatest of 
American statesmen, philosophers, and writers, was born in Boston in 1706, and 
was the son of a tallow chandler and soap boiler, being the youngest of seventeen 
children. He was apprenticed to his brother who was a printer, but ran away 
to Philadelphia, where he established a paper in 1729. His ability brought 
him wealth, while his talents as a writer and his scientific discoveries made 
him famous on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1753, he was appointed deputy 
postmaster general of the British colonies. From 1757 to 1762, and again 
from 1764 to the Revolution, he was the agent of Pennsylvania in Eng¬ 
land, and for a part of the time agent also for Massachusetts, New Jersey, 
and Georgia. He was among the foremost in advocating American inde¬ 
pendence, and rendered invaluable service to his country. The leading 
events in his career will be learned as we advance in the study of our history. 
He died in Philadelphia in 1790, with a fame second only to that of Wash¬ 
ington. 

General Thomas Gage, born in 1721, commanded a regiment at Braddock’s 
massacre. He was made governor of Montreal in 1760, and from 1763 to 1772 
was British commander-in-chief in America. He resigned his commission 
soon after the battle of Bunker Hill and died in 1787. 

Samuel Adams was born in Boston in 1722 and was a cousin of John Adams 
second President of the United States. No one did more with voice and pen 
to bring about the Revolution than he. As early as 1764, he drew up the 
protest of Boston against Grenville’s system of taxation. From 1765 to 1774, 
Samuel Adams represented Boston in the Massachusetts house of representa¬ 
tives. He was a member of the continental congress from 1774 to 1781, and 
a signer of the Declaration of Independence. From 1789 to 1794 he was 
lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and from 1794 to 1797 was governor. 
He died in 1803. 

Patrick Henry was born in Virginia in 1736. He became a lawyer and 
was soon noted for his eloquence. He entered the house of burgesses in 1765, 
where he denounced the Stamp Act. He was a delegate to the first continen¬ 
tal congress, and in 1775 made his famous “give me liberty or give me death ” 
speech. He led in the formation of the State government of Virginia, and was 
its first governor, being elected in 1776, 1777, and 1778, and in 1784 and 1785. 
He was United States senator for a brief time (1794-1795), and was for many 
years in the Virginia legislature. He died in 1799. 


OPENING OF THE REVOLUTION 


139 


Richard Henry Lee was born in Virginia in 1732, and from 1761 to 1788 
was a leader in the Virginia house of burgesses and in the legislature. He 
was a prominent patriot and a delegate to the first continental congress, was 
on the committee to draft the address, and in the second continental congress 
he drew up the address to the people of Great Britain. On June 7, 1776, he 
moved the resolution of independence. He was president of congress, and 
a United States senator from 1789 to 1792, and died in 1794. 



PATRICK HENRY’S FAMOUS SPEECH 


Paul Revere, born in 1735, was a copper-plate engraver in Boston and made 
many caricatures of the exciting events immediately preceding the Revolution. 
Revere was one of the very few men who is known of a certainty to have been a 
leader at the famous Boston Tea Party. His ride on the night of April 18 to 19, 
1 775, when he warned the citizens of Lexington and Concord of the approach 
of the British troops, has been celebrated by Longfellow in his poem “ Paul 
Revere’s Ride.” He printed the provincial paper money of Massachusetts in 
1775, and put up a mill for the manufacture of gunpowder. He died in 1818. 

Joseph Warren, born in 1741, was a graduate of Harvard and a physician 
in Boston. He was an ardent patriot and a leader in the events which ushered 












140 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


in the Revolution. He was a gifted orator, a member of the committees on cor¬ 
respondence, president of the provincial congress of 1774, and chairman of the 
committee of public safety. He aided in organizing volunteers in the spring 
of 1775, and was made a major general by the Massachusetts provincial con¬ 
gress, but as has been stated, served as a volunteer private at the battle of 
Bunker Hill. He was recognized while fighting in the intrenchments by a 
British officer, who snatched a musket from a private soldier and shot him 
dead. 

Artemus Ward, born in 1727, became a major in 1755, and served with Aber¬ 
crombie against the French and Indians. He was made commander-in-chief 
of the Massachusetts forces in 1775, but though in nominal command at 
Bunker Hill was not in the battle. He conducted the siege of Boston until 
the arrival of Washington, when he became second in command. He was 
not successful as a military leader, and represented Massachusetts in congress 
from 1791 to 1795. He died in 1800. 

William Prescott, born in 1726, was a provincial captain in the Nova Scotia 
expedition of 1755. He commanded a regiment of minute-men in 1774, and 
was among the last to leave the intrenchments at Bunker Hill, when the 
Americans were driven out by the British. He rendered good service under 
Gates in the Burgoyne campaign, and was a member for several years of the 
Massachusetts legislature. He died in 1795. 

Sir Guy Carleton, born in England in 1724, won honor at the siege of Louis- 
burg and Quebec. He was governor of Quebec from 1766 to 1770 and from 
1775 to 1778. He commanded the army that invaded New York in 1776, and 
fought a hotly contested battle with Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain. 
He was made a lieutenant general in 1777. In 1782 he superseded Sir Henry 
Clinton as commander-in-chief of the British forces in America. He was gov¬ 
ernor, as Lord Dorchester, of Canada from 1786 to 1796, and died in 1808. 


CHAPTER XIII 


EVENTS OF 1776 

ENERAL Howe’s Evacuation of Boston. — 

Washington faced every possible discourage¬ 
ment in pressing the siege of Boston. Two 
thousand of his men had no muskets; for 
six months he had not enough powder to 
risk a battle; the expiration of the terms 
of enlistment kept men continually going 
and coming; the Connecticut troops left in 
a body, despite his appeals to their 
patriotism, and the country was impatient with the commander’s 
inactivity. But by his genius and ability he gradually brought 
a well-disciplined army out of the chaos. In the dusk of early 
evening, on the 4th of March, he opened fire on the city from 
all the batteries, and in the confusion occupied and fortified 
Dorchester Heights. 

General Howe, who was now in command, soon found no 
choice left to him, and on the 17th of March he evacuated the 
city. Taking with him a number of tories, who dared not 
remain to meet their indignant neighbors, he sailed for Halifax, 
Nova Scotia. Washington occupied the place amid great rejoic¬ 
ing. Both branches of the Massachusetts legislature voted thanks 
•to him, and congress ordered a commemorative medal to be 
struck. This was in gold and bronze, and is now in the posses¬ 
sion of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The new American 
flag contained thirteen alternate red and white stripes, but the 
blue ground in the corner displayed the united crosses of Sf. 
Andrew and St. George. 

M 1 



142 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



British Repulse at Charleston. — The next blow of the enemy 
was struck in the South. Early in June, Admiral Parker, with 
twenty-five hundred troops, appeared off Charleston, which, hav- 











EVENTS OF 1776 


143 



ing been warned of his coming, was prepared. The bombard¬ 
ment opened on the morning of June 28. Fort Moultrie replied 
with such precision that every shot was effective, and in a short 
time the ships were riddled. The fleet consisted of ten men-of- 


EXPLOIT OF SERGEANT JASPER 

war, carrying two hundred and fifty-four guns. In the early part 
of the action the flag of South Carolina, blue in color, with a 
silver crescent and the single word “Liberty,” was carried away 
by a shot from one of the ships. Sergeant William Jasper sprang 
through one of the embrasures, seized the fallen ensign, climbed 









144 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

the wall amid a hot fire, coolly fixed it in place, and dropped 
down among his comrades. Finding it impossible to reduce the 
forts, the enemy withdrew, leaving the Americans triumphant. 

The Declaration of Independence.—With every collision be¬ 
tween the royalists and the patriots, the chasm separating England 
and the colonies widened. Washington affirmed that nothing 
but independence could save the nation. On the 7th of June, 


THE NEW AMERICAN FLAG 

as we have learned, Richard Henry Lee offered in congress a 
resolution that “ these United Colonies are, and of right ought 
to be, free and independent States.” Thomas Jefferson, John 
Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. 
Livingston were appointed as a committee to prepare and submit 
a suitable declaration. Jefferson was selected to draft it. On 
July 2 Lee’s resolution was formally passed by twelve of the colo¬ 
nies, New York not voting. On the 4th of July, after discussion 




EVENTS OF 1776 


145 



and a few trifling amendments, the Declaration of Independence 
was adopted. 

The bell-ringer waited at his post for hours before the news 
reached him that the Declaration had been passed. Grasping 
the rope, he swung it with frenzied joy. As the tones rang over 
the city, the crowds on 
the street shouted, 
hurrahed, and became 
frantic with excite¬ 
ment. Bonfires were 
kindled at night, and 
as the news spread, 
the same rejoicing and 
enthusiasm attended it 
in the army and in the 
remotest corner of the 
colonies. The 4th of 
July will always be 
the most ardently cele¬ 
brated holiday of our 
country. 

British Success on 
Long Island. — At the 
time the British were 
bombarding Charles¬ 
ton, a part of the Eng¬ 
lish fleet arrived from 
Nova Scotia, their pur¬ 
pose being the capture 
of New York. Washington, in anticipation of this movement, 
had done his utmost to strengthen the defences after the de¬ 
parture of General Lee for the South. He succeeded in gather¬ 
ing an army of twenty-seven thousand men, of whom perhaps 
one-half were fit for duty. The British forces numbered thirty- 
two thousand, all of whom were well disciplined and well armed. 


SIGNING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 


L 





146 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


A fourth of them were Hessians, so called because they were 
hired by the king of England from the ruler of Hesse-Cassel in 
Germany. 

In the latter part of August, Clinton crossed over the Narrows 
to Long Island. The fortifications at Brooklyn extended from 
Gowanus Bay to Wallabout, where nine thousand men were sta¬ 
tioned, under Generals Sullivan and Lord Stirling. General 
Greene was ill, and General Putnam was sent over to take charge 
of the defence. Between two and three miles to the south were 
three roads, over any one of which the British commander could 
advance. By a fatal oversight one of these roads was left un¬ 
guarded, and the enemy quickly took advantage of it. The conse¬ 
quence was the rout of the Americans. They were caught between 
the different detachments of the British army and driven pell-mell 
out of their intrenchments. Had Howe pushed his advantage, 
he might have captured the whole patriot army, including Wash¬ 
ington and his officers. But confident that he was certain soon 
to do so, he wished to spare the lives of his men. The British 
lost about four hundred and the Americans two thousand, of 
whom a thousand were prisoners. Among the latter were Gen¬ 
erals Sullivan and Stirling. The leading officers were soon ex¬ 
changed, but the privates suffered frightfully in the sugar-house 
and old hulks at Wallabout, where it is said eleven thousand died 
miserable deaths before the close of the war. 

A singular providence saved the American army from capture. 
An adverse wind delayed the operations of the fleet, and then a 
dense fog enveloped Brooklyn, while New York had a clear atmos¬ 
phere. Under cover of this screen the Americans withdrew 
unnoticed from Brooklyn, and were in New York before the 
British learned of their departure. 

Nathan Hale, the Martyr. — It was of the highest importance 
that Washington should learn something of the intentions of the 
enemy, as well as the distribution of his forces. Captain Nathan 
Hale volunteered to enter the British camp as a spy and attempt 
to gain the information. He disguised himself as a country 


EVENTS OF 1776 


14 7 



school-teacher, but after completing his work was discovered, 
arrested, and hanged as a spy. When he stood on the scaffold, 
with the fatal noose about to be 
placed about his neck, he said: 

“ My only regret is that I have 
but one life to give to my 
country.” 

It being impossible to hold 
New York, Washington strongly 
fortified Harlem Heights, but 
the condition of his army was 
distressful. Desertions and the 
expirations of the terms of en¬ 
listments threatened to dissolve 
it. On the 12th of October, 

Howe’s advance passed through 
Hell Gate in flat boats, landing 
at Frog’s Point, on the main¬ 
land of New York. Waiting 
several days for reinforcements 
and supplies, he moved up to 
Pell’s Point, between East 
Chester and New Rochelle. 

He was soon joined by a large 
number of Hessians. 

American Defeat at White 
Plains. — A council of war 
decided that Harlem Heights 
could not be held, and all the 
forces were withdrawn except 
the garrison at Fort Washing¬ 
ton. The position at White nathan hale as a spy 

Plains was attacked by Howe and Clinton on the 28th of Octo¬ 
ber. The patriots fought bravely, but were forced back, Wash¬ 
ington withdrawing to Northcastle Heights, while Howe turned 


148 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


about, and by an overwhelming attack on the 16th of November 
compelled Fort Washington to surrender. 

The Retreat through New Jersey.—Washington’s dread now 
was of a British campaign against Philadelphia, the most impor¬ 
tant city of the colonies, where congress was in session. He 
had crossed to the west bank of the Hudson and stationed him- 



THE RETREAT THROUGH NEW JERSEY 


self with General Greene at Fort Lee. Cornwallis, the most 
skilful of all the British leaders, landed at a point opposite 
Yonkers with six thousand troops two days after the surrender 
of Fort Washington. Fort Lee could not hold out against so 
strong a force, and the American army withdrew to the other 
side of the Hackensack. Then Washington began his retreat 
through New Jersey, with Cornwallis in pursuit. 

Through Newark and Brunswick (now New Brunswick) the 




£ VENTS OF 1776 


I49 


patriot army tramped to Trenton, on the Delaware. Cornwallis 
followed by way of Elizabethtown (now a part of Elizabeth), 
Uniontown, and Woodbridge, gathering horses, cattle, and all 
the plunder within reach, the two armies so near each other that 
they continually exchanged shots. The patriots were in rags, 
many barefooted, and the route was marked at times by their 
bloody footprints. 

General Charles Lee followed the army at so laggard a pace 
that a scouting party of the British captured him at Baskingridge, 
in New Jersey. Stirling succeeded to his command and joined 
Washington at Trenton. The force, barely five thousand strong, 
crossed the Delaware at the same hour that Cornwallis, with a 
much larger army, entered the upper part of the town. 

With his body of shivering, half-starved patriots, and with 
congress fleeing in a panic from Philadelphia, Washington deter¬ 
mined to strike a blow that should revive the drooping hopes of 
his countrymen. His plan was to recross the river in three divi¬ 
sions and fall upon the Hessians at Trenton, when they did not 
dream of anything of the kind. 

One division was to force the passage at Bristol, ten miles 
below Trenton; a second opposite the town; while Washington 
was to make the passage at the present village of Taylorsville, 
Pennsylvania, eight miles above. Neither of his aids could effect 
a crossing, because of the immense quantities of floating ice in 
the river. The whole task, therefore, fell upon Washington him¬ 
self. He had seized all the boats along the Delaware for many 
miles up and down stream, and Cornwallis therefore could not 
continue the pursuit into Pennsylvania. 

Battle of Trenton. — Amid a storm of sleet and snow, with the 
weather bitterly cold, Washington gathered his twenty-four hun¬ 
dred men, the best of the army, on the shore. With him were 
Generals Greene, Stirling, Sullivan, Stephen, Stark, Mercer, 
St. Clair, Knox, and other fine officers. It was Christmas night, 
that time having been chosen because the Hessians at Trenton 
were sure to be spending it in festivity and merriment. 


150 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The flat boats were pushed through the grinding blocks of 
ice, and the entire force landed on the New Jersey side before 
the bleak, wintry morning dawned. It was still snowing, with the 
wind blowing hard. The patriot army marched inland to the 
present village of Birmingham, four miles from the river. There 
the force divided, Greene taking what is known as the “.Scotch 
road,” which leads into the upper part of the town, over the 
present Pennington turnpike. Sullivan followed the river road, 



VICTORY AT TRENTON 


entering the lower part of the town. The distance is about the 
same by the two routes, and it was intended that the divisions 
should arrive at the same time. Washington accompanied 
Greene. 

In the gray light of the early morning, Washington drove in 
the pickets and entered the “head” of the town. While doing 
so, the sound of musketry firing showed that Sullivan had also 
arrived and was pressing the attack from the river side at the 
lower end of Trenton. 

Colonel Rail, the Hessian commander, was a brave man, and, 




EVENTS OF 1776 


151 

though surprised, made a gallant effort to rally his men. Several 
pieces of artillery were brought up, but the Americans captured 
them before they could be brought into use. In this exploit, 
Lieutenant Monroe, afterward President of the United States, 
was the leader. Colonel Rail, while striving to form his men for 
a charge, was mortally wounded. This threw the Hessians into 
a panic. Most of them started on a run toward Princeton, but 
were headed off by Hand’s riflemen and surrendered. A few of 
the British troops and yagers dashed over the Assunpink bridge 
and escaped in the direction of Bordentown. Colonel Rail, sup¬ 
ported on either side by a sergeant, and suffering intensely, 
walked slowly up to where Washington was seated on his horse, 
and handed him his sword, begging that he would be merciful to 
his captured men. Washington gave the promise, and expressed 
his sympathy with the stricken officer, upon whom he called after 
he was carried to a house and laid upon a bed, and spent some 
time in striving to cheer his last moments. 

Effects of the Victory. — By this brilliant victory the Americans 
secured nine hundred and fifty prisoners, six guns, and a large 
number of small arms, besides killing about twenty men and 
wounding four times as many. Four of the patriots were wounded 
and two killed, the latter probably from exposure, rather than the 
bullets of the enemy. Compared with many battles since then, 
that of Trenton was only a skirmish, and yet its importance can 
hardly be overestimated. It did what Washington intended — 
electrified the despairing patriots, gave an impetus to enlistments, 
and inspired hope through the country. Trenton was the turning- 
point of the Revolution. 

But the skilful Cornwallis with his powerful army was a few 
miles away, and Washington dared not linger. Before night he 
had crossed with his army and prisoners to the Pennsylvania side. 
Cornwallis’s scouts reporting this to him, he fell back to Prince¬ 
ton. The British at Burlington, learning what had been done, 
abandoned South Jersey. 

Washington remained three days on the Pennsylvania shore, 


152 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


when he crossed once more to Trenton, where he received rein¬ 
forcements which increased his army to six thousand men. 
Robert Morris, the wealthy Philadelphian, who did noble work 
in raising funds for carrying on the war for independence, sent 
fifty thousand dollars in specie to Washington, with which to pay 
his suffering patriots. 

TOPICS. — The discouragements of Washington; what he accomplished; 
the evacuation of Boston; the British repulse at Charleston; exploit of Ser¬ 
geant Jasper; history of the Declaration of Independence; how it was cele¬ 
brated; the work of Washington for the defence of New York; the American 
defeat on Long Island; the providence which saved the American army. 

Nathan Hale the martyr; Washington’s withdrawal from New York; the 
defeat at White Plains; other disasters; Washington’s retreat through New 
Jersey; capture of General Charles Lee; Washington’s plan for striking a 
blow at Trenton; why he had no assistance; Washington’s crossing of the 
Delaware; the battle of Trenton; the prisoners and spoils secured by Wash¬ 
ington; the losses on each side; the effect of the victory; movements of 
Cornwallis; of Washington; the timely help given by Robert Morris. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Notes. — Richard, Earl Howe, was a British rear-admiral 
when appointed, in 1776, commander-in-chief of the naval forces in North 
America^ After taking possession of Long Island and New York, he occu¬ 
pied Philadelphia as we shall learn in the next chapter, in 1777. In 1778, 
he resigned his charge to Admiral Byron and returned to England, where he 
became an admiral, won a great victory over the French in June, 1794, and 
died in 1799. 

Sir William Howe, brother of the above, was four years his junior and served 
under General Wolfe at Quebec in 1759. He was commander of the British 
troops at Bunker Hill, and, as we have learned, was successful on Long Island, 
at White Plains, and at Forts Washington and Lee. He defeated Washington 
at Brandywine, in 1777, and occupied Philadelphia. He was superseded in 
1778 by Sir Henry Clinton. He was an indolent man, well educated, and 
popular with his officers, but never seemed to put his heart in any duty he 
undertook. He died in 1814. 

Roger Sherman, born in 1721, was a shoemaker, and became in turn a 
surveyor, a lawyer, judge of the superior court of Connecticut, and a member 
of its legislature. He was a delegate to the first and second continental 
congresses, was one of the five who drafted the Declaration of Indepen¬ 
dence, of which he was a signer, a member of the Connecticut committee 
of safety, and a delegate to the Federal constitutional convention of 1787. 


EVENTS OF 1776 


153 


He served in the national house of representatives, 1789-1791, and as United 
States senator, 1791-1793. Once when addressing the senate, he was inter¬ 
rupted by the cynical John Randolph of Roanoke (who claimed descent from 
Pocahontas), with the sarcastic inquiry: “I would like to ask the gentleman 
what he did with his leather apron when he came to congress?” “I cut it 
up to make moccasins for the descendants of Pocahontas,” was the instant re¬ 
ply. Sherman died in 1793, leaving a record for honorable usefulness, which 
has been equalled by few public men. 

Robert R. Livingston, born in 1746, was a graduate of King’s (Columbia) 
College, a lawyer, member of the New York assembly, and delegate to the 
continental congress, where he was one of the five who drafted the Declara¬ 
tion of Independence. He was secretary for foreign affairs in 1781-1783, and 
from 1777 to 1801 chancellor of the State of New York, and as such admin¬ 
istered the oath of office to Washington in 1789. While minister to France, 
1801-1805, he helped negotiate the Louisiana purchase, and gave great aid to 
Robert Fulton in developing steamboat navigation. He died in 1813. 

Sir Henry Clinton, born in 1738, was a major general when he came to 
Boston, in 1775, with Howe and Burgoyne. In 1778, he became commander- 
in-chief of the British forces in this country. In May, 1778, he captured 
Charleston and the whole army of Lincoln, and in the following month fought 
the battle of Monmouth. He planned with Benedict Arnold, the traitor, the 
surrender of West Point, but failed to relieve Cornwallis in 1781, and return¬ 
ing to England in 1782, died in 1 795 - 

Israel Putnam, born in Massachusetts in 1718, settled in Connecticut as a 
farmer. He served in the French and Indian war, and was the hero of many 
romantic and stirring adventures. He commanded a regiment in the Cana¬ 
dian campaign of 1760, and was a leader among the “ Sons of Liberty/’ before 
the Revolution. He left his plough in the furrow upon hearing the news of 
the battle of Lexington, and rode a hundred miles almost without drawing rein 
to Boston. He was made brigadier general, and was in joint command with 
Prescott at Bunker Hill. He soon became a major general and commanded 
the centre at the siege at Boston. He was actively engaged throughout the 
Revolution and died in 1790. 

William Alexander was born of English parentage in New York city in 1726. 
He inherited the title of earl from his father, and, in 1757, laid claim to the 
same before the house of lords, but it was refused to him. Since he was en¬ 
titled to the honor, however, he figures in history as Lord Stirling. He was a 
colonel in 1775, a brigadier general in 1776, and a major general in 1777. 
He was exchanged after his capture at Long Island, and rendered good ser¬ 
vice at Trenton, Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. He died in 1783. 

Nathan Hale was one of the most admirable characters developed by our 


154 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Revolutionary period. He was noted as the finest athlete and foremost stu¬ 
dent at Yale College, where for many years the marks were carefully preserved 
which showed a prodigious leap made by him in a contest with his young 
friends. He was only twenty years old at the outbreak of the Revolution, but 
immediately enlisted and persuaded others to join with him. He was made 
captain in 1776, and his company was the best disciplined in the whole army. 
After entering the British lines in the garb of a school-teacher, he remained two 
weeks, during which he gathered invaluable information for Washington, though 
it is not known where he spent all the time, nor precisely where he went. 
While sitting in a tavern, on Long Island Sound, waiting for a boat, he was 
recognized by a tory relative, who betrayed him to an English vessel lying 
near. Hale walked several paces into the edge of the water to meet his sup¬ 
posed friends, when several guns were levelled at him, and he was ordered to 
surrender. He ran a few steps, when, looking back over his shoulder and see¬ 
ing no escape, he submitted. He did not deny his character, and met his fate 
with the loftiest heroism. It is not known where the body of the patriot mar¬ 
tyr was buried. 

Johann G. Rail (sometimes erroneously spelled Rahl), born about 1725, 
was the Hessian commander at Trenton. He had previously fought at White 
Plains, and helped to capture Fort Washington. In Trenton he made his 
headquarters with Abraham Hunt, the principal merchant of the place. He 
was fond of his pipe, whiskey toddy, and cards. He and Hunt were playing 
cards on Christmas night, 1776, when a note was sent in for Rail, who thrust 
it into his pocket intending to read it after finishing the game, but he forgot 
the matter until he was carried, mortally wounded, into the old tavern in 
Queen (now Warren) Street. Then, when the letter was examined, it was 
found to be a warning of the approach of Washington, and had been writ¬ 
ten by a tory who brought it in haste to the door of Hunt’s house. But for 
that game of cards, the history of the Revolution would have been changed. 
The remains of the Hessian commander rest in the burying-ground of the 
First Presbyterian Church of Trenton. 


CHAPTER XIV 


EVENTS OF I777 

D GLORY.” — The Stars and Stripes were 
created by resolution of congress on the 14th 
of June, 1777. Washington, assisted by a 
committee, had much to do in preparing the 
design. They called upon Mrs. Elizabeth 
Ross, in Philadelphia, and requested her to 
make a flag from a rough draft prepared by 
Washington. It was at the suggestion of Mrs. 
Ross that Washington’s six-pointed star was changed to a five- 
pointed one. She completed the flag the next day and it was 
greatly admired. Mrs. Ross manufactured the flags for many 
years for the government, and her children succeeded to the 
business. The house in which “Old Glory” was first made is 
still standing at 239 Arch Street. 

The Struggle at the Assunpink Bridge. — Returning to the mili¬ 
tary events at the beginning of the year, it should be said that as 
soon as Cornwallis learned that Washington had appeared again 
in Trenton, he prepared to crush him. He advanced upon the 
town, January 2. The Assunpink Creek, running through the 
middle of Trenton, was spanned by a wooden bridge built nearly 
a hundred years before. Washington drew up his army on the 
eastern side of the structure and checked the advance of Corn¬ 
wallis. His cannonade killed a number of the enemy (precisely 
how many is not known), and the engagement, omitted by most 
historians, has come to be known as the battle of the Assunpink. 

The Victory at Princeton. — The opposing forces encamped on 
opposite sides of the Assunpink. The situation of Washington 

i55 





156 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

was critical. The Delaware behind him had become impassable, 
while in front the powerful British were waiting for daylight, 
so as to overwhelm him. The bivouac fires were kept burning 
bright, and the men were seen digging the intrenchments through¬ 
out the night. The foe was completely deceived, for Washington 
stealthily withdrew from the town, and taking a circuitous course 
reached Princeton, ten miles away, at dawn. There he fell upon 
the astonished enemy, attacking them with such vigor that they 
were driven pell-mell out of the town. In this battle of Prince¬ 
ton, fought on the 3d of January, 
Washington exposed himself to 
great personal danger, and in¬ 
fused courage among his troops 
by his heroic example. The loss 
was considerable on both sides, 
General Mercer being among the 
patriots who fell. 

Cornwallis at Trenton heard 
the boom of the cannon to the 
northward and knew what it 
meant. He started in all haste 
for Princeton, but when he 
reached the town the patriots 
were gone. Cornwallis pressed 
on to Brunswick to protect the 
valuable stores there, while Washington withdrew to Morristown, 
where he went into winter quarters and remained until the fol¬ 
lowing May. 

Burgoyne’s Campaign. — A formidable campaign was planned 
by the enemy for 1777. Lieutenant General Burgoyne, with an 
army of seven thousand British and Hessians, besides a corps of 
artillery and a large number of Indians, was to invade New York 
from Canada, by way of Lake Champlain and Albany. The aim 
was to cut off New England from the other States. If successful, 
the country would be so weakened that its conquest was inevitable. 



GENERAL BURGOYNE 


EVENTS OF 1777 


57 


Another body of troops, under St. Leger, with more Indians 
and tories, was to ascend the St. Lawrence to Lake Ontario, and 
make its way to Albany along the Mohawk, while Clinton expected 
to send a strong force up the Hudson from New York. 

Upon the approach of the enemy, the Americans abandoned 
Ticonderoga, which was occupied by the British. Burgoyne 
reached Fort Edward on the 30th of July, and General Schuyler 
took position at Saratoga. 

Relief of Fort Schuyler. —Ascending the St. Lawrence to Lake 
Ontario, St. Leger invested Fort Schuyler with a force of eighteen 
hundred men. The garrison was one-third as large. General 
Nicholas Herkimer, a brave militia officer, gathered the militia 
in the vicinity and set out to relieve the garrison. He fell into 
an ambuscade of regulars and Indians and was among the mortally 
wounded. The grim old hero, however, lit his pipe, propped 
himself against the saddle of his horse on the ground, and con¬ 
tinued to give orders as coolly as if directing a parade. A force 
from the garrison drove away the British and Indians. 

St. Leger pressed. the siege, and Benedict Arnold was sent 
against him. His force was too weak to attack, but he released 
a prisoner who had agreed to rush into the British camp, pre¬ 
tending to be a deserter, and bearing a terrifying story of the 
strength of the Americans. He did his work so well that St. 
Leger hastily retreated. 

Victory at Bennington. — Burgoyne began to suffer for food. 
He sent six hundred Hessian troops, soon followed by five hun¬ 
dred more, to Bennington, Vermont, to seize a lot of provisions. 
General Stark, who was on his way with sixteen hundred recruits 
to join General Gates (who had superseded Schuyler), met these 
detachments on the 16th of August, and routed them with heavy 
loss. 

Every day improved the situation of Gates, for recruits were 
continually arriving, while Burgoyne’s dilemma grew steadily 
worse. His Indians deserted, and his supply of provisions was 
not only running low, but there was no way of getting more. 


J 58 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The danger of starvation became imminent, nor did anything 
appear of the promised diversion of Clinton from New York. 
Burgoyne therefore decided to drive aside the Americans on his 
left and retreat to the lakes. 

Surrender of Burgoyne. — He attempted to carry out this plan, 
but was defeated, with the loss of several hundred men, among 
whom were some of his best officers. General Gates neglected 
no possible advantage. He posted fifteen hundred men on Bemis 
Heights, opposite the ford at Saratoga, two thousand in the rear, 
and fifteen hundred at a post higher up. Then Burgoyne was 



BENNINGTON BATTLEGROUND 


almost surrounded, with his supplies running short and his army 
rapidly losing strength through desertions, while that of the 
Americans was as rapidly increasing. The situation soon became 
hopeless. 

General Burgoyne surrendered on the forenoon of October 17. 
The army which thus became prisoners of war included five thou¬ 
sand seven hundred and sixty-three officers and men, among 
whom were six members of the British parliament, who had joined 
the lieutenant general, that they might be entertained by witness¬ 
ing the overthrow of the American rebels. Some of the trophies 
were a fine train of brass artillery, consisting of forty-two pieces, 







EVENTS OF 1777 


159 


five thousand muskets, and an 
enormous quantity of ammuni¬ 
tion. The Americans treated 
the prisoners with kindness, 
sharing their food with the 
troops, and showing them every 
consideration. 

The capture of Burgoyne and 
his army was the most substantial 
triumph that the Americans had 
thus far gained during the war. 
It spread dismay in England 
and caused unbounded rejoicing 
on this side of the Atlantic. 

The Campaign in Pennsylvania. 
— Having followed the cam¬ 
paign in the North to its tri¬ 
umphant conclusion, we must 
return to Washington and learn 
of his movements. The skilful 
manner in which he baffled 
Cornwallis won the praise not 
only of his countrymen, but ex¬ 
cited the admiration of Europe. 
Frederick the Great pronounced 
his achievements among the 
most brilliant in history. 

Washington left his winter 
quarters at Morristown in the 
latter part of May. His army 
numbered less than eight thou¬ 
sand, while that of Howe was 
fully twice as strong. The latter 
was - still at Brunswick, and 
Washington, from behind the 



BENNINGTON MONUMENT 










.l6o A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Raritan at Middlebrook, closely watched his movements. Howe 
marched to Staten Island, embarked his army on his brother’s 
fleet, and some days later entered Chesapeake Bay. Washing¬ 
ton had moved to Germantown, in anticipation of events, and 
when he learned what had taken place, saw that the enemy’s 
ultimate destination was Philadelphia. 

Howe reached the head of Elk River, in Maryland, on the 24th 
of August, and defeated the American army, September n, on 
the Brandywine, inflicting considerable loss. Washington entered 
Philadelphia the next day, and on the 19th crossed the Schuylkill 
and took station on the eastern bank of the river, with detach¬ 
ments at the different fords where the enemy was likely to cross. 

The Paoli Massacre. — General Anthony Wayne hid himself 
in the woods with fifteen hundred men, intending to assail the 
enemy in the rear. His presence, however, was revealed to the 
British, who, on the night of September 20, fell upon him with 
great fury and killed about three hundred troops. This event is 
known as the Paoli Massacre. 

Fall of Philadelphia. — Howe had now secured command of the 
Schuylkill and crossed with his whole army. Meeting with no 
opposition at Germantown, he took possession of Philadelphia. 
The Americans, reinforced by eleven thousand men, stationed 
themselves on the east side of the Schuylkill, about eighteen 
miles from Germantown, where the main body of the British army 
was posted. 

American Defeat at Germantown. — Howe set out to 1 reduce the 
forts below Philadelphia, so as to open the way for the fleet. 
While he was thus engaged, Washington attempted to surprise 
the enemy at Germantown. Everything was going well, when a 
stubborn resistance was encountered at the “ Chew-House.” This 
structure was built of stone and could not be fired, while it suc¬ 
cessfully resisted the cannon brought to bear upon it. A dense 
fog hid the troops from each other, and a number of companies 
were fired into by their own friends. The confusion became so 
great that the enemy was given time to rally, and since everything 


EVENTS OF 1777 




M 


CHEW-HOUSE 


















162 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


was going wrong, Washington was obliged to order a retreat. 
This was accomplished without leaving a gun behind, but one 
thousand men were lost, that of the British being six hundred. 
It was afterward learned that had the fight continued a few min¬ 
utes longer, Howe would 
have retreated. 

Congress had fled from 
the city and was in session 
in the little town of York. 

Washington withdrew to 



FRANKLIN AT THE COURT OF FRANCE 


Valley Forge, and the invaders settled in Philadelphia for the 
winter, where, having plenty of gold, they were enabled to live 
upo'n the fat of the land. 

The Articles of Confederation.—On the 15th of November, 
congress adopted the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual 
Union. The States, although urged to ratify them, were so 















































































EVENTS OF 1777 


163 

deliberate that it was not until 1781 that New Hampshire, which 
was the last, complied. 

Foreign Assistance. — From the opening of the war, congress 
had been striving to secure foreign assistance. The French 
showed a friendly interest in the colonies, and as early as 1776 
Silas Deane was sent as a commissioner to France. He did 
little, and Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee took his place. 
Franklin’s wit, good sense, and quaint dress and ways captured 
the volatile people. The government, however, was not yet ready 
to recognize the struggling patriots, but Franklin secured valuable 
aid. More than twenty thousand stands of arms and a thou¬ 
sand barrels of gunpowder reached this country from France in 
1778. 

Valley Forge. —The winter of 1777-1778 was unusually severe. 
Hundreds of our soldiers were without shoes and stockings, their 
clothing was in tatters, and gnawing hunger tormented them con¬ 
tinually. The continental army was much weaker than the British, 
who held high revel in Philadelphia, twenty miles away. 

At Valley Forge the camp was laid out in streets of log-cabins, 
and the position was a strong one. Every precaution was taken 
against surprise. In the huts, each fourteen by sixteen feet, 
twelve privates made their home. Only a few had anything 
resembling bedding, and many could not secure even straw. 
When the snow sifted through the crevices, and the tiny fire gave 
out scarcely any heat, the men huddled together, and by keeping 
close saved themselves from freezing to death. 

Those were the times that tried men’s souls. Washington’s 
patriotism inspired all around him. Isaac Potts, at whose house 
he was quartered, was walking through the woods one day near 
his dwelling, when he heard the voice of some one in prayer. 
Peeping among the trees, he saw Washington on his knees, peti¬ 
tioning heaven to save his beloved country. In relating the 
incident to his wife, Mr. Potts added: “ If there is any one to 
whom the Lord will listen, it is George Washington, and with 
him as leader our independence is certain.” 


164 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


TOPICS. —The struggle at the Assunpink bridge; Washington’s strategy; 
the battle of Princeton; the formidable campaign planned by the enemy for 
1777; the siege of Fort Schuyler; Nicholas Herkimer; how the fort was re¬ 
lieved; Stark’s victory at Bennington; the desperate situation of Burgoyne; 
his surrender; the spoils of the victory; the admiration caused by Washing¬ 
ton’s skill; his departure from Morristown; the movement of Howe against 
Philadelphia; Washington’s movements; the Paoli Massacre; fall of Phila¬ 
delphia; American defeat at Germantown; congress; the Articles of Confed¬ 
eration; assistance given by France; Franklin’s tactful course; the patriots 
at Valley Forge; anecdote of Mr. Potts. 

Biographical Notes. — Charles, Earl and later Marquis, Cornwallis, 
born in 1737, was an officer in the Seven Years’ war. He was a member of 
parliament and friendly disposed toward the Americans when trouble first 

appeared. His prominent part in 
the Revolution is set forth in the 
chapters that follow. He was the 
ablest of the British commanders, 
and was impatient with Clinton, 
who, though his superior in rank, 
was his inferior in skill. He was 
governor general of India in 1786- 
*793 and i n 1805, where his ser¬ 
vices were of a high character. 
He was lord lieutenant of Ireland, 
1798-1801, and died in 1805. 

Horatio Gates was an English¬ 
man, born in 1728. He served as 
captain in Braddock’s expedition 
and was made adjutant of the con¬ 
tinental army in 1776. His success 
over Burgoyne was mainly due to 
good fortune and the skill of his 
officers, but he was so puffed up that he plotted to obtain Washington’s place 
as commander-in-chief; but fortunately for his country, he and the cabal 
which favored the scheme were unsuccessful. He failed so ignobly in the 
South that he was removed from command, though in 1782 a court-martial 
acquitted him of blame. He died in 1806. 

Hugh Mercer, born in Scotland about 1720, served in the French and 
Indian war and was made a brigadier general in 1776. He commanded a 
column at Trenton and led the advance at Princeton. He was surrounded, 
and although repeatedly ordered to surrender, refused to do so and died des- 



HORATIO GATES 



EVENTS OF 1777 165 

perately fighting. Mercer county, in which Princeton and Trenton are located, 
was named in his honor. 

Barry St. Leger, born in 1737, took part in the capture of Louisburg 
and of Quebec. After his repulse from before Fort Stanwix, he made 
his headquarters at Montreal and carried on a guerilla warfare. He died in 
1789. 

John Burgoyne, born in 1723, was a member of parliament and an officer 
who was soon made lieutenant general. He was in disfavor in England for 
a long time because of his surrender, but justice was finally done him. Bur- 
goyne was a writer of considerable merit, and published a number of poems 
and comedies. He died in 1792. 

John Stark was born in New Hampshire in 1728. He was a valiant soldier 
in the wars of the border and in the French and Indian war, serving also in 
Canada and at Trenton and Princeton. Feeling aggrieved at his treatment 
by Congress, he resigned in 1777. When the New Hampshire militia were 
called out by the danger from Burgoyne’s invasion, they demanded Stark as 
their leader. We have learned of the decisive defeat he administered to the 
Hessian detachment. When the battle was about to open, Stark addressed 
his men: “There they are, boys; we must beat them to-day, or this night 
Molly Stark’s a widow.” The joss of the Americans was fifty-four, and that of 
the Hessians some eight hundred. This brilliant exploit brought Stark for¬ 
ward again. He was made a brigadier general and did valiant service to the 
close of the war. General Stark was in his ninety-fifth year at the time of his 
death. 

Anthony Wayne was born in Pennsylvania in 1745. He was a surveyor 
and afterward a member of the legislature and of the committee of public 
safety. He had charge of a regiment in the Canadian invasion of 1775, and 
later of the Ticonderoga forts. He was commissioned as a brigadier general 
and displayed great bravery and skill at Brandywine, where he commanded a 
division. His further services will be learned in the course of our study of 
the following pages. His impetuous bravery caused him to be known as 
« Mad Anthony,” but never was there more method in a man’s madness, for 
he was careful and weighed all the chances before plunging into battle. 
One of the most striking examples of his caution, followed by overwhelming 
success,was given in 1794 at the battle of the Fallen Timbers. He died in 1796. 

Arthur Lee, born in 1740, was a brother of Richard Henry and Francis 
Lightfoot Lee, all prominent in early Virginia and in national matters. He 
was appointed with Deane and Franklin in 1776 to secure a treaty of alliance 
with France, and was afterward commissioner to Spain and Prussia and a 
member of congress. He possessed brilliant parts, but often repelled by his 
arrogance and displeasing ways. 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


166 

Silas Deane, the associate of Franklin and Lee in 1776, was born in Con¬ 
necticut in 1737, which State he represented in the continental congress. 
Lee accused him of extravagance and dishonesty in France and secured his 
recall in 1778. Congress demanded a full statement from Deane and he 
returned to France to obtain the necessary papers. He found himself so 
unwelcome in that country that he was obliged to withdraw to Holland. He 
died in 1789, when on the eve of sailing from England for home. 


CHAPTER XV 

EVENTS OF 1778 

IMPORTANT Allies. — One day in February, 
1778, there came to Valley Forge a veteran 
of the Seven Years’ war under Frederick the 
Great. He was two years older than Washing¬ 
ton and had been a soldier from the age of 
fourteen. He was Baron Frederick William 
von Steuben, and was undoubtedly the most 
valuable ally that joined the patriot army 
during the Revolution. His thorough mili¬ 
tary education, his iron frame, and his devotion to our cause 
soon produced the best results. Washington read his character 
at once and gave him his fullest confidence. He was made 
inspector-general and threw his whole energies into the arduous 
work. 

Previous to this there had been other allies from across the 
ocean, who were moved by their love of liberty and their ardent 
sympathy with the Americans struggling for independence. The 
most prominent were Kosciusko and Pulaski, both Poles, and 
the Marquis de Lafayette of France. These men sealed with 
their blood their devotion to the sacred cause which inspired our 
forefathers to all manner of hardships, sufferings, and sacrifices 
that our country might be free. 

Aid from France. —We have learned of the friendship of France 
for the patriots. All she was waiting for was a good pretext for 
openly helping them. That pretext was furnished by the sur¬ 
render of Burgoyne. The king of France concluded a treaty 
February 6, 1778, acknowledging our independence, forming 

167 




168 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



WASHINGTON AND LAFAYETTE 





































EVENTS OF 1778 


169 


reciprocal relations with us, and agreeing that neither should 
treat with Great Britain without the consent of the other. This 
first treaty between the United States and a foreign nation was 
drafted by Benjamin Franklin. Congress ratified the treaty on 
the 2d of May. England was alarmed and offered to treat with 
the colonies, but the only terms which the Americans would listen 
to were independence, which England, of course, would not 
grant. 

Evacuation of Philadelphia. —The British army occupied Phila¬ 
delphia from September 26, 1777, to June 17, 1778. The pros¬ 
pect of a war with France led Great Britain to prepare for a 
descent upon some of the French West India Islands. It was 
ordered, therefore, that five thousand troops should be detached 
from the main army, three thousand to be forwarded to Florida, 
and the rest to New York. The transports were too few to carry 
them all to New York, and Clinton set out with the rest overland. 

Battle of Monmouth Court House.—Washington was so close 
that his vanguard entered the city while the British rear-guard 
was marching out. The main army started in pursuit of the 
British and overtook them at Monmouth Court House, now 
Freehold, the county seat of Monmouth county, New Jersey. 
Lafayette was sent forward with a strong force to attack as 
opportunity offered. General Lee also followed with another 
body of troops. 

The weather was suffocatingly hot, and many men of both 
armies dropped exhausted by the wayside. At early light Wash¬ 
ington, learning that Clinton had set out for New York, ordered 
Lee to advance at once and attack. At the same time the com¬ 
mander-in-chief hurried forward to support him. Lafayette, 
being younger than Lee, yielded the command of the advance 
to him. This was on June 28. 

The battle soon opened, and all was going well for the Ameri¬ 
cans, when confusion came, and General Lee started for the rear 
with most of the troops. A decisive defeat was impending, when 
Washington galloped up and came face to face with Lee. The 


170 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

great man was aflame with anger and thundered out a demand 
for the meaning of the movement. Lee stammered a reply and 
offered to lead the troops back into action, but Washington 
ordered him to the rear, and the real battle immediately opened. 
The fighting was determined and made more trying by the intense 
heat, which caused the death of many on both sides. The British 
fought well, and for a time the advantage was with them, but at 

five o’clock in the after¬ 
noon they retreated, and 
the advantage went to the 
Americans. Washington 
impatiently waited for day¬ 
light to complete his vic¬ 
tory, but Clinton slipped 
off in the night, and, 
making his way to Sandy 
Hook, was taken on board 
of Admiral Howe’s fleet. 
The British landed in New 
York July 5, and Washing¬ 
ton, crossing the Hudson 
at King’s Ferry, took posi¬ 
tion near his old camp at 
White Plains. 

Molly Pitcher. — The 
account of the battle of 
Monmouth would not be complete without the story of Molly 
Pitcher. While carrying water for the thirsty soldiers, she saw 
her husband shot down at the cannon he was serving. Molly 
dropped the pail and ran to his side, but he was dead when she 
reached him. The commander ordered the piece to be with¬ 
drawn, because he had not the right man to take the place of 
the cannoneer. Molly asked that she might handle the gun, 
and she was allowed to do so. She loaded and fired it all 
through the battle, and with a skill and bravery that no one 



MOLLY PITCHER 




EVENTS OF 1778 


171 

could have excelled. She was presented to Washington after¬ 
ward, and he was so impressed by what she had done that he 
conferred upon her the rank of lieutenant, and congress granted 
her half-pay for life (see biographical note). 

The Wyoming Massacre. — Early in July, Colonel John Butler 
led a band of Indians and tories into the lovely valley of 
Wyoming, Pennsylvania, where his cousin, John Butler, was in 
command. Most of the able-bodied men were absent, fighting the 
battles of their country, but the patriot Butler gathered between 
three and four hundred old men and boys, who made the best 
defence possible; sad to say, they were defeated, and a terrifying 
massacre followed, including many men, women, and children. 

Retreat of General Sullivan.—The hope of aid from France 
was followed for a time by disappointment. The French fleet 
reached the Delaware too late to intercept the English, who had 
gone to New York. Count D’Estaing (des-tang f ) moored off 
Sandy Hook, but was afraid to attack, and sailed for Newport, 
Rhode Island, where there were six thousand British troops, while 
Sullivan, Greene, and Lafayette were present with a larger force. 
Before the plans of capturing the enemy could be carried out, 
Howe appeared with his fleet in the offing, and D’Estaing began 
manoeuvring for battle. Before a gun was fired, the ships were 
scattered by a tempest. Finally Howe returned to New York, 
and D’Estaing went to Newport, taking all his troops with him. 
When Sullivan was about to attack the British force at Newport, 
he received warning from Washington that Clinton was advancing 
against him with five thousand men. Sullivan retreated in time 
to escape an overwhelming defeat. The Americans were much 
incensed against the French, who gave no help whatever. 
D’Estaing sailed for the West Indies without striking a blow, 
and until the closing year of the war, it was the rule with the 
Frenchmen to find it necessary to go to the West Indies when¬ 
ever a chance presented itself for aiding the Americans. 

Major Clarke’s Expedition. — So many outrages were committed 
by the tories and Indians, that the Americans determined to 


172 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


strike back. The most important of these expeditions was that 
of Major George Rogers Clarke. Under the commission of 
Governor Patrick Henry, of Virginia, Clarke descended the Ohio, 
in the month of May, with one hundred and fifty men, their 
destination being the Indian villages west of the Alleghenies. 
He advanced with such vigor that with little difficulty he capt¬ 
ured Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes, after which he struck 
the savages a decisive blow. 

The indignant British governor at Detroit recaptured Vin¬ 
cennes. Clarke returned later in the year, his men marching 
through icy marshes and swamps with the water to their waists, 
and not only retook Vincennes, but captured the governor, who 
was sent as a prisoner to Virginia, where he was kept for a time 
in irons, because of his many violations of the laws of civilized 
warfare. 

The results of Major Clarke’s expedition were more important 
than would be supposed. Competent authorities declare that, 
but for what he did, the western boundary of the United States 
at the close of the Revolution would have been the Allegheny 
Mountains instead of the Mississippi River. All the territory 
north of the Ohio was organized into the “County of Illinois,” 
and Major Clarke and his men were publicly thanked by Virginia 
for their services, while to each man was voted two hundred acres 
of land. 

Fall of Savannah. —The British had met with so little success 
in the Northern and Middle States that they concentrated their 
operations against the South. On December 23, three thousand 
men, under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, appeared off Tybee 
Island, in ships sent from New York. Passing the bar, the 
troops landed near Five Fathom Hole. General Howe’s force 
was only one-third of the enemy’s, but he made a brave defence, 
only to suffer a disastrous defeat. Thus Savannah, the capital of 
Georgia, with its extensive stores, fell into the hands of the 
invaders, December 29. 


EVENTS OF 1778 


173 


TOPICS. — Baron Steuben; other valuable allies from across the ocean; aid 
from France; the treaty made with her; the alarm of England; evacuation 
of Philadelphia; the preparations made by Great Britain for a war with 
France; pursuit of Clinton by Washington; the battle of Monmouth; the 
course of General Lee; indignation of Washington; the real battle; the re¬ 
sult; the story of Molly Pitcher; the Wyoming Massacre; disappointment 
caused by the course of France; the retreat of General Sullivan; Major 
Clarke’s expedition; what it accomplished; its important consequences; fall 
of Savannah. 

Biographical Notes. — Baron Steuben held a lucrative office under 
Frederick the Great, which he resigned to come to America and assist the 
patriots in their struggle for independence. He was a fiery-tempered sol¬ 
dier, and, when his imperfect knowledge of English would not permit him to 
berate the troops whom he was drilling to the extent he felt they deserved, he 
would turn to some officer and beg him to scold the “awkward rascals.” He 
commanded the left wing at Monmouth, was a member of the board which 
condemned Andre, and helped at the siege of Yorktown. At the close of the 
war he settled in New York and received a grant of land from congress. He 
died in 1794. 

Thaddeus Kosciusko came to this country in 1775, when about thirty years 
old, and served as a colonel under General Gates. He was remarkably skilful 
as an engineer, his most important work being the fortifications at West Point. 
He was made a brigadier general in 1783, and, returning to his native land, 
was an active participant in the defence of Poland in 1794. He died in 1817. 

Casimir Pulaski, born in Poland-in 1748, came to America in 1777. He 
served on Washington’s staff, and was in the battles of Brandywine and Ger¬ 
mantown. He was a brigadier general under Wayne from 1777 to 1778, and 
was then placed in command of the famous “ Pulaski’s Legion,” composed of 
deserters, prisoners of war, and foreigners. He fought furiously in the siege 
of Savannah, in 1779, when he commanded the French and American cavalry 
and was mortally wounded. 

Marquis de Lafayette was born of a noble family in France in 1746. His 
sympathy for the struggling Americans led him to fit out a ship at his own 
expense, in which he sailed from Bordeaux in 1777. Landing at Charleston, 
he made his way northward to Washington’s headquarters and offered his ser¬ 
vices without pay. He was commissioned as a major general and became dn 
intimate friend of Washington. He was wounded at Brandywine, and again 
in the Rhode Island campaign. He returned to France in 1779 and spurred 
his government to more effective aid for the Americans. He was in this coun¬ 
try again in time to sit on the board which tried Major Andre. He was in 
command in Virginia against Arnold, and afterward Cornwallis, and displayed 


1 74 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


considerable military ability. He was a leader for a time in France in the 
terrible revolution at the close of the eighteenth century. He visited the 
United States in 1824-1825, and made a tour of the country. He was re¬ 
ceived with unbounded enthusiasm everywhere, congress granted him a valu¬ 
able tract of land, a large sum of money, and then sent him home in a vessel 
named the Brandywine, in honor of the battle in which he was wounded. 
He commanded the National Guard in Paris during the revolutionary day of 
1830, and died in 1834. 

Charles Lee was born in England in 1731, and served as an officer at Brad- 
dock’s defeat and through the French and Indian war. He came to America 
in 1773, and so impressed the authorities that he was appointed second in 
rank of the major generals. He took part in the siege of Boston, made vigor¬ 
ous preparations in New York against attack, and, having been sent south, 
commanded at the defence of Charleston in 1776. He was captured in the 
autumn of that year, because of his disobedience of Washington’s orders. 
It is not unlikely that Lee lagged behind on purpose that he might fall into 
the hands of the enemy, for a few years since Dr. George H. Moore, of New 
York city, brought documents to light, which proved beyond question that 
Lee offered to betray the American cause to the Howes at the time he was 
a prisoner. The Howes did not buy him, probably because Lee held him¬ 
self at his own valuation. After his disgraceful behavior at Monmouth, 
he was suspended for disobedience, misbehavior, and disrespect, and was 
finally dismissed from the army. He died in obscurity in Philadelphia in 
1782. 

Molly Pitcher’s right name was Mary McCauley. She has been de¬ 
scribed as a “red-haired, freckle-faced young woman,” and the scene of her 
loading and firing the cannon at the battle of Monmouth is depicted in bronze 
relief on the battle monument at Freehold. There has been an impression 
for years, in many quarters, that proper honor was not done this remarkable 
woman for her action in the famous engagement, but this is an error. She 
died in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in January, 1833, at the age of seventy-nine 
years, her days having been spent in comparative comfort. On the 4th of 
July, 1876, the citizens of Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, erected a monu¬ 
ment to the heroine of Monmouth, and it now stands over her remains in the 
public graveyard at Carlisle. 

John Sullivan, born in Maine in 1740, was a New Hampshire delegate to 
the first continental congress, and became a brigadier general in 1775, and 
major general in the following year. He was at the siege of Boston, and to 
him was due a part of the discredit for the disastrous defeat on Long Island. 
He fought well at Trenton and Princeton, and commanded the right wing at 
Brandywine and Germantown. In 1779, as will be shown, he conducted the 


EVENTS OF 1778 


175 


crushing campaign against the Six Nations of Indians. He was a member of 
congress after the war and died in 1795. 

George Rogers Clarke was born in 1752, and became famous through his 
important expedition into the Northwest against the British and Indians, 
which secured to us that section to our country. As stated, Virginia not 
only publicly thanked Clarke and his men for their valuable services, but voted 
a tract of land to each of them. It is our unpleasant duty to add, however, 
that neither Clarke nor any of his men ever received a single acre of the grant. 


CHAPTER XVI 


EVENTS OF 1779 



|HE Conquest of Georgia. —The cause of Ameri¬ 
can independence made little progress in 
1779. The British pushed their success in 
• the South. General Benjamin Lincoln, of 
Massachusetts, superseded Howe, who had 
suffered a disastrous repulse. He found the 
situation discouraging, and, though he did 
all that was possible under the circum¬ 


stances, Georgia was so overrun and conquered that the royal 
governor was reinstated, and Great Britain could boast that 
one at least of the revolted colonies had been restored to the 
crown. 

The hot weather deferred the attempt to recapture Savannah 
until September, when the Americans and French laid siege to 
it. A desperate assault was made on the 9th of October, in which 
D’Estaing and his men redeemed themselves, and fought with a 
bravery that could not be surpassed. Sergeant Jasper, the hero 
of the exploit at Fort Moultrie, and Count Pulaski were among 
the thousand killed, while the loss of the enemy was less than 
fifty. The siege was abandoned, and recrossing the Savannah, 
the Americans returned to Charleston, while the French fleet 
again sailed for the West Indies. 

The Campaign in the North. — It will be remembered that 
Washington, after pursuing Clinton and winning the victory at 
Monmouth Court-House, returned to his old camp near White 
Plains. He passed the winter in a line of positions reaching 
from the Highlands to the Delaware. No important military 


176 


EVENTS OF 1779 1 77 

movements followed, but numbers of raids and predatory excur¬ 
sions were made by both sides. 

Capture of Stony Point. — Stony Point having fallen into the 
hands of the enemy, Washington asked Wayne whether he would 
undertake to recapture it. “ I will undertake to capture the lower 
regions, if you will give me the plan,” replied “Mad Anthony.” 
Washington remarked that the second enterprise would be de¬ 
ferred, but he was anxious that Wayne should lose no time in 
carrying out the first. 

On the hot evening of July 15, Wayne, with four regiments, 
marched twelve miles and halted within a mile of the fort. The 
men threw aside all superfluous clothing, and having obtained 
the countersign from a negro who sold berries at the fort, Wayne 
divided his force into two columns, which at midnight attacked 
from opposite sides. The men charged impetuously, and the 
fight, though brief, was fierce. Wayne, at the head of his troops, 
was struck in the forehead by a bullet and fell to the ground. 
Believing he was about to die, he ordered his aids to carry him 
forward, that he might pass his last moments within the fort. 
Before they could do so, he rallied, and, leaping to his feet, 
decided that he would postpone his death to some other occasion. 
Sixty-three of the garrison were killed before they surrendered, 
and five hundred and forty-three made prisoners. The Ameri¬ 
cans lost only fifteen, while eighty-three were wounded. Valuable 
ordnance and stores were secured, the fort destroyed, and the 
patriots withdrew. 

Sullivan’s Campaign against the Indians.—The atrocities of 
the Indians and tories in the Wyoming and Mohawk valleys 
threatened the destruction of the settlements. The Iroquois, or 
Six Nations, were so aggressive that Washington felt they must 
be sternly punished. Accordingly, he organized a powerful 
expedition, which was placed under the command of General 
Sullivan, which late in August advanced northward from Wyoming 
and burned forty villages of those fierce warriors, who never fully 
recovered from the blow. 

N 


i 7 8 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The War on the Ocean. — Our little navy proved a thorn in the 
side of Great Britain. As early as 1775, Washington sent out 
several privateers to cruise along the New England coast, and in 
the same year congress established a naval department. Two 
battalions of seamen were enlisted, and thirteen ships were 
ordered to be fitted out. The number increased so that in three 
years they captured five hundred ships of the enemy. The daring 
Yankee privateers even entered the waters among the British 
Isles and burned ships at their wharves. 

Great Victory of Paul Jones. —John Paul Jones was one of the 
bravest men that ever trod the quarter-deck. His remarkable 
success caused him to be made a captain. One night, while 
cruising off Solway Firth, near his birthplace, he rowed ashore 
on the coast of Cumberland, with thirty-one volunteers, and in 
the harbor of Whitehaven burned three vessels and spiked a 
number of cannon in the guard-room of the fort. All England 
was startled by this exploit. When, in 1779, h e P ut to sea in 
command of the Bon Homme Richard (bo-nom're-shar'), and 
accompanied by two consorts, the Alliance and the Pallas, every¬ 
body wondered what was coming next. That which did follow 
was one of the most terrific sea-fights known in history. 

The Bon Homme Richard was an old Indiaman given to Jones 
by the king of France. When off Scarborough, he sighted the 
homeward-bound Baltic fleet of merchantmen, under the escort 
of the frigates Countess of Scarborough and the Serapis (se-ra'pis). 
The former carried twenty-two guns and the latter fifty. Jones 
had forty-four guns and three hundred and seventy-five men. 
Although two-thirds of those with him were prisoners of war, 
and he had weakened his regular crews in order to take charge 
of his many prizes, he at once signalled to his consorts to join 
him in pursuit of the enemy. 

It was the month of September, the sun had set, and the full 
moon was shining, when the captain of the Serapis bailed Jones, 
who replied by opening fire. The enemy promptly responded, 
and the famous battle began. It had hardly opened, when two 


EVENTS OF 177Q 


179 



of the guns on the lower deck of the Bon Homme Richard burst, 
killing several men. The rest scrambled up to the main-deck, 
the guns left behind not being worked again during the fight. 

Jones manoeuvred to close in with the Serapis, but finding he 
could not bring his 
guns to bear, he let 
his ship fall off again. 

“Have you struck?” 
shouted Captain Pear¬ 
son of the Serapis. 

“ Struck! ” replied 
Jones, “I haven’t be¬ 
gun to fight! ” 

While the Serapis 
was swinging round, 
her jib-boom caught 
in the mizzen rigging 
of the Richard. Jones 
sprang forward and 
lashed the boom to 
the mast, but the hold 
was broken by the 
lurching of the vessels. 

One of the enemy’s 
anchors caught the 
quarter of the Richard , 
however, and held fast. 

. THE SERAPIS AND THE BON HOMME RICHARD 

Upon attempting to 

fire from the starboard side, the Serapis could not open her 
ports, because the Richard lay so close to her. She therefore 
fired with her ports closed, blowing away her own port-lids; 
but there were no Americans on the lower deck, and the main 
deck of the Richard was so high that the broadsides of the 
Serapis did not hurt any one, though they did great injury to 
the ship. 






180 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

For two hours the crews fought hand to hand with musket, 
pike, and cutlass. The muzzles of the guns continually scraped 
each other, and the gunners, in working their pieces, repeatedly 
thrust their ramrods into the portholes of the opposing ship. The 
cannon were discharged as fast as they could be loaded. The 
Richard was a rotten old hulk and soon became unmanageable. 
Water poured into the hold, and only three of the guns could be 
worked. Both vessels caught fire again and again. In this crisis, 
Jones discovered that his ally, Captain Landais, commanding 
the Alliance , was firing first a broadside into the Scarborough 
and then into the Bon Homme Richard. But leaving Landais 
to be settled with afterward, Jones kept up his awful struggle 
with the Serapis , whose men fought as bravely as his own. 

One of the sailors perched in the rigging of the Bon Homme 
Richard , and engaged in throwing hand-grenades upon the deck 
of the Serapis , crept out to the end of the main-yard, carrying a 
bucket of the fearful missiles. Coolly lighting these, he dropped 
them, one after the other, down the hatchway of the Serapis. The 
powder boys had left a row of eighteen-pound cartridges stretched 
along the whole length of the ship, into which the American aloft 
dropped one of his hissing grenades. The explosion which fol¬ 
lowed killed a score of sailors and severely wounded forty others. 

Captain Pearson again called to Jones to know whether he had 
struck, but Jones, at the other end of the ship, did not hear him. 
Then the British commander, at the head of his boarders, made 
a rush for the deck of the Richard. Jones seized a pike and, 
leading his own men, drove the enemy back. The Serapis caught 
fire repeatedly, but the explosion caused by the hand-grenade 
decided the battle. The main battery, which was Captain Pear¬ 
son’s chief reliance, was silenced, and he struck his colors. 
Even then, in the smoke, uproar, fire, and tumult, half the men 
on the Serapis believed it was the Richard that had surrendered; 
but Captain Pearson himself hauled down his own flag. 

At dawn of day the Richard was a wallowing wreck, still on 
fire, riddled like a sieve, and fast sinking. Jones had barely 


EVENTS OF 1779 


181 


time to remove his crew to the Serapis, when his own ship went 
to the bottom. Four-fifths of his men were killed or wounded 
in this most memorable battle of the infant American navy. 

Landais’s amazing conduct in firing into Jones during the fight 
was probably due to insanity, though many believed it was 
because of his intense envy of the American commander. At 
any rate, he was deprived of his command on the ground of 
insanity. Jones’s battle with the Serapis was the last one in 
which he engaged for the Americans. 

TOPICS. — Conquest of Georgia; the American attempt to recapture Savan¬ 
nah; the campaign in the North; capture of Stony Point by Wayne; Sulli¬ 
van’s crushing chastisement of the Six Nations; the first American privateers; 
their work in three years; John Paul Jones; his exploit at Whitehaven; his 
terrific battle with the Serapis; what decided the battle; the victory; the 
conduct of Landais. 

Biographical Notes. — Benjamin Lincoln, bom in 1733, was major gen¬ 
eral of the Massachusetts militia from 1774 to 1775, an( l was their commander 
at the battle of White Plains.* In the Burgoyne campaign, he was second in 
command under Gates. He was transferred to the South, as we have learned, 
in 1778, and two years later he was obliged to surrender Charleston to the 
British. Washington designated him to receive the sword of Cornwallis at 
Yorktown in 1781. Lincoln was secretary of war 1781-1784, and died in 
1810. 

John Paul Jones was born in Scotland in 1747, engaged in the merchant 
marine, and settled in Virginia shortly before the Revolution. He was among 
the first to volunteer, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the infant 
American navy. He made a number of successful cruises, and proved his skill 
and daring, while he threw all England into terror by his amazing exploits. 
For his great victory over the Serapis , Jones received the thanks of congress 
and a gold sword from the king of France. After the close of the war he 
became a rear admiral in the Russian navy, and died in Paris in 1792. 


CHAPTER XVII 


EVENTS OF 1780 



ILOOMY Outlook for the Patriots.—The winter 
of 1779-1780 was the severest of the eigh¬ 
teenth century. There was widespread suffer¬ 
ing, and for months all military operations 
were at a standstill. The colonies were upon 
the verge of exhaustion from the years of 
fighting, of poverty, of suffering, and because 
of the overwhelming reverses. The city of 
New York was in the hands of the enemy, Savannah had been 
taken, and the British were preparing to attack Charleston. 

The gloomy condition of affairs cannot be more strongly shown 
than by the words of Washington himself. Hitherto his faith 
had been unshaken by disaster, but now he said: “ I have almost 
ceased to hope. Friends and foes seem to be combining to pull 
down the fabric raised at so much expense of time, blood, and 
treasure.” The best men did not appear in congress; for, day 
after day, only about a dozen members were present to transact 
the most important business. Little heed was given to their 
counsels, and often their orders were openly disregarded. The 
national currency rapidly approached the point of worthlessness, 
and the authority delegated to congress by the thirteen States 
dwindled until it was no more than a name. 

Fall of Charleston. — The cup of suffering for the patriots was 
not yet full. Early in the year, Clinton gathered all his avail¬ 
able forces at New York, and leaving enough to defend it against 
Washington, who was closely watching him, sailed with the rest 
for Charleston. There he was joined by the British in Georgia, 

182 


EVENTS OF 1780 


183 


and the fleet fought its way through the harbor to the city. The 
attack was made in May, and Lincoln, after the bravest possible 
defence, was obliged to surrender with his army of six thousand 
men. 

Clinton vigorously followed up his success. Armed expedi¬ 
tions were sent out to overrun the country. Colonel Tarleton, 
his ablest officer, overtook a regiment of Virginians on the 29th 
of May at Waxhaw, and almost cut them to pieces. The cam¬ 
paign, indeed, was pressed so remorse¬ 
lessly that all organized resistance in the 
South seemed for the time to be at an 
end. Civil war reigned in the Caro- 
linas; merciless tories, with commis¬ 
sions from the British authorities, 
galloped back and forth over the coun¬ 
try, burning the houses of former friends 
and neighbors, shooting down peaceful 
men, women, and children, after de¬ 
spoiling them of their possessions, and 
slaying those who refused to take up 
arms against their country. 

But the patriots were not the ones to 
submit meekly to these savage outrages. 

The women melted their pewter dishes 
and ran them into bullets, and the blacksmiths forged rude weap¬ 
ons at their anvils. The deep woods, the numerous small streams, 
the swamps and almost impenetrable recesses, offered the best 
facilities for the partisan warfare which set the South, particu¬ 
larly South Carolina, aflame. Typical heroes came to the front 
on each side. On that of the British were the swift, terrible 
Tarleton and his dragoons, and Ferguson with his riflemen; on 
the American were Sumter, the “Carolina Game-cock,” Marion, 
the “Swamp Fox,” Pickens, Horry, and others. 

Francis Marion was the best type of the patriot partisan. It 
was said of him that “his simplicity of conduct, preserved under 








184 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



MARION IN THE SWAMPS 





























































































































EVENTS OF 1780 


185 


all circumstances, was above praise; the cheerfulness with which 
he endured privation surpassed encomium.” We recall the story 
of the British officer, who, having met Marion upon some busi¬ 
ness, was invited to stay to dinner. The visitor was so charmed 
with his host that he accepted the invitation. When the meal 
was ready, it consisted of a few roast potatoes served upon pieces 
of bark. The British officer politely asked whether this meagre 
diet was usual, to which Marion replied that it was, -but because 
of the honor of the visitor’s presence the allowance for that 
occasion was increased. The story is that the officer was so 
struck by this incident, as well as by the discovery that Marion 
served his country without pay, that he resigned his commission, 
declaring it idle to fight against such devoted patriots. 

Clinton learned that a French fleet with a strong force was 
expected off the coast. This caused him to sail from Charleston, 
with most of his army, June 5. He left Cornwallis, with four 
thousand men, to effect the complete subjugation of the South. 
The weather, however, became so hot that Cornwallis decided 
to wait for its improvement. 

The desperate condition of the section caused Washington 
much anxiety. As early as the close of March he sent rein¬ 
forcements thither. They were so pushed for food that they had 
to break up into small parties to escape starving. Among the 
flaming sand barrens, in July, they devoured green corn and 
unripe fruit so ravenously that many fell ill. Those who were 
able, however, trudged forward, and were joined by several hun¬ 
dred refugees that were hiding among the mountains. But they 
had few and poor weapons, little food, and lacked discipline. 
The brave Baron de Kalb, who had charge, could speak only a 
few words of English, and General Gates was appointed to the 
command of the troops, who numbered about two thousand. 
These were reinforced by another thousand, and Gates was con¬ 
fident of “Burgoyning Cornwallis,” as he expressed it. 

Defeat of Gates. — By a curious coincidence Cornwallis and 
Gates fixed upon the same hour for surprising each other. Mov- 


86 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ing with that purpose their advanced guards collided, about two 
o’clock of the morning of August 16, in the woods near Camden. 
A skirmish followed, and the Americans fell back, both forces 
waiting for daylight. At dawn, Cornwallis, who knew of the raw 
and untried condition of the patriots, launched his finest soldiers 
under his best officers against them. They struck the Virginia 
militia, who fired one volley and retreated. The North Carolina 
militia did the same, without halting long enough to shoot. 
Gates and his officers did their utmost to rally them, but it was 
impossible. Thus two-thirds of the army vanished. 

But the regulars, composed of a regiment of North Caro¬ 
linians and the Maryland and Delaware men under De Kalb, 
fought like heroes, the valiant De Kalb himself setting a thrill¬ 
ing example. 

The Polish veteran led a terrific bayonet charge, broke the Brit¬ 
ish line at one point, and it was not until Cornwallis, with his 
whole force, flung himself against the Americans, that the latter 
gave way. De Kalb sank to the ground with eleven wounds, and 
died the next day. 

Battle of King’s Mountain.—On the 7th of October the 
Americans attacked the enemy under Colonel Ferguson at King’s 
Mountain, / on the border line between North and South Carolina. 
The patriots were led by Colonels Cleveland, Shelby, and Camp¬ 
bell. The British fought bravely, repelling the Americans several 
times, but at the end of an hour Ferguson fell, mortally wounded, 
and the British surrendered. 

General Greene in the South. — By great labor General Gates 
managed to get together about fourteen hundred men, with which 
he meant to dispute Cornwallis; but on the 2d of December 
Nathanael Greene, the “Quaker general,” arrived and superseded 
him. Gates was much chagrined, but declared his willingness 
to serve his superior in any way possible. Greene kindly ex¬ 
pressed the belief that the censure of his predecessor had been 
founded on an imperfect knowledge of the facts. He said the 
same to the officers and men, and won the best opinion of all. 


EVENTS OF 1780 


'*7 



The Treason of Benedict Arnold.—The spirits of Washington 
were cheered in April by the return of Marquis de Lafayette with 
news that the French government had fitted out an armament of 
naval and land forces, which would soon be sent to the United 
States. It was' good news, indeed, for nothing was clearer by 
this time than the truth that without some such aid America 
could not win her independence. 

The saddest event of the Revolution was the treason of Bene¬ 
dict Arnold. He was one of the bravest of men, his exploits 
even in boyhood exciting the wonder of his playmates. But he 
was coarse-minded, extravagant, 
dishonest, and revengeful. He 
was angered because he was not 
among the first five major gen¬ 
erals appointed. Washington 

urged his appointment, which 
was made after Arnold’s brilliant 
services at Saratoga. 

He was stationed at Philadel¬ 
phia while recovering from the 
wound received at Saratoga. He 
married a tory lady, and began 
living in a style beyond his 
means. He resorted to specula¬ 
tion and dishonest methods to 

... J TT . .. MAJOR JOHN ANDRE 

increase his funds. His odious 

manners and sordid disposition made him very unpopular. On 
one occasion he was mobbed in the streets of Philadelphia. The 
council of the city finally preferred charges of misconduct against 
him. These were proven, and he was sentenced to be repri¬ 
manded by Washington. The commander-in-chief performed 
the unpleasant duty with the utmost delicacy, but the reproof, 
together with the disallowance by congress of his claims for 
expenses incurred in the Canadian expedition, filled him with 
resentment. These causes, together with the strong tory senti- 


188 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


merits of his wife, doubtless determined him to take the step 
which has cast odium forever upon his name. 

Arnold opened a secret correspondence with Sir Henry Clin¬ 
ton, and arranged to turn over to him the fortress at West Point, 

the most important 
post in the country 
and the main depot 
of supplies. On the 
plea that his wound 
would not permit 
active service, he 
secured from Wash¬ 
ington the command 
of West Point. Being 
now in a position to 
carry out his shameful 
act, he asked Clinton 
to send a person fully 
authorized to arrange 
the details. The 
British commander 
intrusted Major John 
Andre with the task, 
and, knowing its ex¬ 
treme peril, warned 
him not to pass 
within the American 
lines, under no cir¬ 
cumstances to assume a disguise (which would have made him 
a spy and insured his death in case of capture), and to accept 
no papers. Had Andr£ followed these instructions, he would 
have escaped the fate that afterward overtook him. 

Andr£ went up the Hudson and boarded the British sloop-of- 
war Vulture ’, lying at anchor in the river. Just before daylight, 
September 22, he landed at the foot of Long Clove Mountain, 



CAPTURE OF ANDRE 




EVENTS OF 1780 


189 


six miles below Stony Point, where Arnold was waiting in the 
bushes to receive him. The interview lasted until after daylight, 
when for safety they repaired to the house of a Mr. Smith, who 
lived within the American lines. There the plan of the betrayal 
was completed. Clinton was to send a strong force to attack the 
works at West Point, while Arnold agreed to scatter the garrison 
of three thousand so as to prevent effective defence. 

When Andr6 started to return to the Vulture , it was found she 
had dropped down stream, because fire was opened upon her by 
a small battery on Teller’s Point. This compelled Andrd to 
make his way to New York by land. Arnold furnished him with 
a pass and a citizen’s dress. He was conducted by Smith to a 
point where he was told he would meet only British raiders, 
or “Cow Boys,” as they were called. Smith then bade him 
good-by and came back. 

All went well with Andr6 until he was near Tarrytown. A 
half-mile above that town, Isaac Van Wart, John Paulding, and 
David Williams were on the lookout for British marauders. 
Hearing the sound of a horse’s hoofs, they halted Andre, with a 
demand to know his business. Had the horseman kept his self- 
possession, he would have been safe. If the three men were 
Americans, the pass of Arnold would have been respected, and 
had they been British, of course they were his friends. He had 
only to answer their demands by displaying the pass of the 
American commander. But one of the three had on a British 
coat, which he had exchanged for one of his own when a prisoner 
a short time before. Andr£ was so certain that they were his 
friends that he said: 

“I hope, gentlemen, you belong to our party.” 

“Which party is that? ” asked Paulding. 

“The lower party,” replied Andr6, meaning the British. 

“Yes, we belong to that party,” said Paulding. 

Andr6, completely deceived, added: 

«I am a British officer out on particular business, and I hope 
you will not detain me.” 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


190 

The three captors saw they had secured a prize and ordered 
him to dismount and submit to be searched. The alarmed 
Andr£, seeing his fatal mistake, now showed the pass of General 
Arnold. But it was too late. When his boots and stockings 
were removed, the important papers were found, among them 
being a complete plan, in Arnold’s handwriting, of the fortifica¬ 
tions at West Point. Seeing he was discovered, Andre offered 
his horse, watch, and everything with him, besides pledging to 
send them a large sum of money, if they would permit him -to go 
on. They refused, and conducting him to North Castle, left him 
in charge of Lieutenant Colonel Jameson, the officer stationed 
there. Jameson’s stupidity was the cause of Arnold’s escaping 
the fate he richly merited. Although the papers told him the 
all-important truth, he sent a note to General Arnold, inform¬ 
ing him of the arrest. 

The traitor was at breakfast when the note was placed in his 
hands. He called his wife aside, told her of his peril, kissed 
his sleeping boy in the cradle, dashed out of the house, mounted 
his horse, galloped to the river, sprang into a boat, and was 
rowed out to the Vulture. He protected himself from being 
fired upon by swinging his white handkerchief over his head. 

Andr6 was tried by court-martial and convicted and condemned 
as a spy. He accepted his verdict bravely, only asking that he 
might be shot instead of hanged. It was hard to refuse the 
request, but General Greene maintained that any mitigation of 
the sentence would imply a doubt of its justice. He was hanged 
October 2, 1780. 

Much sympathy was felt for the unfortunate young officer. 
His remains were removed to England in 1821 and now rest in 
Westminster Abbey. George III caused a mural tablet to be 
erected to his memory, on which is an inscription referring to 
him as “one who fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his king and 
country.” A pension was conferred upon his mother, and his 
brother was created a baronet. 

The punishment of Andr£, however, was just. He was a spy 


EVENTS OF 1780 


IQI 

under the laws of war, and, had he succeeded in reaching New 
York with the papers, in all probability he would have struck a 
fatal blow at American independence. Strange it is that so much 
sympathy should be expressed for him, while poor Nathan Hale, 
as young, as intelligent, and as brave, who simply sought informa¬ 
tion within the enemy’s lines, was treated with brutal indignity 
and hanged without a trial. 

Arnold was paid six thousand three hundred and fifteen pounds 
sterling, as a reimbursement for the “losses ” he claimed to have 
suffered while fighting for his native land. He took his family 
to England after the war. His sons received commissions in the 
British army, did creditable service, and it is pleasure to record 
that his descendants to-day are among the worthiest members of 
the community in which they live. As for the arch traitor him¬ 
self, he was despised by those whom he served, was hooted at on 
the streets of London, and died in 1801, execrated by all. His 
wife survived him about three years. 

TOPICS. —The gloomy outlook for the patriots; the discouragement of 
Washington; congress ; the currency ; the fall of Charleston ; the devasta¬ 
tion in the South ; devotion of the women ; the partisan leaders; the sad 
condition of the patriot troops in the South ; defeat of Gates at Camden; 
death of De Kalb ; battle of King’s Mountain ; General Greene in the South; 
the good news from France ; Benedict Arnold ; his character; his causes of re¬ 
sentment; Washington and Arnold; treasonable correspondence of Arnold with 
Sir Henry Clinton ; the part taken by Major Andre ; the capture of Andre ; 
the escape of Arnold; fate of Andre ; justice of his punishment; Nathan 
Hale; the price paid to Arnold for his treason; his descendants; his death. 

Biographical Notes. — Sir Bannastre Tarleton was bom in England 
in 1754, and came, as a colonel, to America with Lord Cornwallis in 1776. 
He took part in the raid which resulted in the capture of General Charles Lee, 
at Baskingridge in the same year. He organized the “ Tarleton Legion ” in 
South Carolina in 1779, and conducted a savage warfare. He helped to win 
the battle at Camden, was defeated by General Sumter at Blackstock Hill, 
and, at the Cowpens, General Morgan cut his command to pieces. He sur¬ 
rendered with Cornwallis at Yorktown, and died in 1833. 

Thomas Sumter was born in 1734, and won a reputation as one of the most 
brilliant of partisan leaders in the South during the Revolution. He was 


192 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


very active, defeating the British at Hanging Rock, where Andrew Jackson, a 
boy of fourteen, fought bravely, was defeated at Fishing Creek by Colonel 
Tarleton, who in turn was defeated by Sumter at Blackstock Hill. He cut the 
communications of Cornwallis and captured his supply train. He was a con¬ 
gressman from South Carolina, 1789-1793, and 1797-1801, and was United 
States senator, 1801-1809, in which year he was appointed minister to Brazil, 
where he remained for two years. He died in 1832, in his ninety-ninth year, 
having attained the greatest age of any officer of the Revolution. 

Francis Marion was born in South Carolina in 1732, and was of Huguenot 
descent. He was an officer in the Cherokee war and a member of the pro¬ 
vincial congress. He enlisted at the beginning of the Revolution, and took 
part in the repulse of the British from Charleston in 1776, and in the disas¬ 
trous Savannah expedition of 1779. He organized his partisan corps in 1780 
and struck quick and effective blows against the enemy. His principal field of 
operations was along the Pedee River and the neighborhood. His celerity of 
movement well earned for him the name of “ Swamp Fox.” He commanded 
the right wing at Eutaw Springs, and continued fighting in the South until the 
actual close of hostilities in that section, which was the beginning of 1783. 
Marion was a member, for a time, of the State senate, and died in 1795. 

Andrew Pickens was another of the famous partisan leaders of the South. 
He was born in 1739, and served in the war against the Cherokees when a 
young man. He defeated a strong British force at Kettle Creek in 1779, and 
was in command of the militia at the Cowpens and at Eutaw Springs, besides 
being engaged in a large number of skirmishes and battles of less moment. 
He was a member of the South Carolina legislature from 1793 to 1794, and 
from 1801 to 1812, serving in congress from 1793 to 1795. He died in 1817. 

Nathanael Greene was born in Rhode Island in 1742, being a member of 
a Quaker family. He served in the State assembly in 1770. He possessed 
excellent qualities and gave much attention to the study of military matters, 
for which he was gifted with a special aptitude. He was made brigadier gen¬ 
eral in 1775 and took part in the battle at Dorchester Heights. In the fol¬ 
lowing year he became major general, and, as we have learned, was actively 
engaged at Trenton and Princeton. It was Greene’s skill which saved the 
American army from decisive defeat at Brandywine. At Germantown, he 
commanded the left wing, where he again displayed remarkable ability in 
covering the retreat of the army. He was president of the court-martial 
which condemned Andre to death. His career in the South stamped him as 
second only to Washington in military ability. He captured post after post, 
won a decisive victory at Eutaw Springs, and repeatedly baffled Cornwallis 
with his superior army. General Greene was universally esteemed and re¬ 
spected. He died in 1786 from the effects of a sunstroke. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


EVENTS OF 1781.—TRIUMPH OF INDEPENDENCE 

E Campaign in the South. — It was one of the 
wisest of steps to appoint General Greene to 
the chief command in the South. Washing¬ 
ton sent “Light Horse Harry” Lee thither, 
with his legion of three hundred and fifty, 
to help in staying the advance of the enemy. 
Washington could ill spare his valuable ally, 
but the war, opening in New England, was 
steadily gravitating southward, where the de¬ 
cisive and final struggle was to take place. Greene understood 
the folly of meeting Cornwallis in open battle, when his own force 
was so much the weaker. It was Gates’s blindness in this 
respect that brought about his failure. Greene decided, while 
forming and disciplining his army, to harass his stronger enemy 
in every way possible. He formed his troops into two divisions. 
With the main body he took position on the eastern bank of the 
Pedee, opposite the Cheraw Hills, about seventy miles from Wyn- 
nesborough, where Cornwallis was stationed. General Morgan, 
with a body of infantry and cavalry, was sent south of the 
Catawba. Meanwhile, Marion, Sumter, Pickens, and other par¬ 
tisans were riding back and forth through the swamps and forests 
of Georgia and the Carolinas, harrying the enemy whenever and 
wherever the chance presented. Thoroughly familiar with every 
acre of the country, they were able to strike their telling blows 
and make off again before the British could gather to strike back. 

Battle of the Cowpens. —Believing the British post at Ninety- 
Six in danger, Cornwallis sent Tarleton, with eleven hundred 

i93 



o 



194 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


men, including cavalry, artillery, and infantry, against Morgan, 
while Cornwallis himself marched to the Northwest to catch him 
in the event of his eluding Tarleton. His object was also to 
frighten Greene by getting between him and Virginia. Morgan 
fell back to the Cowpens, where he was furiously attacked by 
Tarleton on the morning of January 17. The Americans at first 
gave way, but quickly rallied and pursued the enemy to the 
bottom of the hill, where most of them threw down their arms 
and surrendered. This was an inspiriting victory, Tarleton hav¬ 
ing lost a hundred privates, ten commissioned officers, more than 
a hundred wounded, and six hundred prisoners, beside two guns, 
eight hundred muskets, his colors, a hundred horses, and nearly 
all his baggage train. The loss of the Americans was about a 
dozen killed and sixty wounded. 

Cornwallis baffled. — Cornwallis now devoted every energy to 
preventing the junction of Morgan and Greene, but he was com¬ 
pletely baffled at every step. The Americans not only united, 
but eluded Cornwallis again and again. It is said that for four 
days Greene did not average more than an hour’s sleep out of 
twenty-four. Cornwallis finally gave up in disgust and returned 
to Hillsborough February 20. By the middle of the following 
month, Greene found himself strong enough to assume the aggres¬ 
sive, though three-fourths of his men were raw recruits, upon 
whom little dependence could be placed. The Americans were 
attacked at Guilford Court House March 15. The regulars 
fought bravely, but the militia gave way, and Greene deemed it 
wise to withdraw. The enemy was too exhausted to pursue. 
Guilford Court House was a victory for the British, but their loss 
was greater than that of the Americans. Colonel Webster, the 
best officer under Cornwallis, was killed, and when the news 
reached England, Fox declared in the house of commons that a 
second victory of that kind would ruin the army. 

Cornwallis felt such a wholesome respect for Greene that he 
retreated to Wilmington, North Carolina, where he arrived on 
the 7th of April. After resting his army, he decided to withdraw 


EVENTS OF 1781 


195 


into Virginia and join the British forces already there. Instead 
of following him, Greene set about reconquering South Carolina. 

The Americans captured a number of posts, and on the 1st of 
June the only ones in South Carolina and Georgia in the hands 
of the invaders were Ninety-Six and Augusta. Pickens and Lee 
took Augusta five days later, and though Greene’s attack upon 
Ninety-Six on the 18th was repulsed, the garrison saw that it 
could not be held, and evacuated it. 

The Battle of Eutaw Springs. — Colonel Stuart, now command¬ 
ing the British, posted himself at Eutaw Springs, where Greene 
attacked him September 8. The battle lasted four hours and 
was bitterly contested on both sides, as was proved by the losses 
each sustained. That of the British, in killed, wounded, and 
prisoners, was seven hundred, and that of the Americans about 
the same. Each side claimed the victory, and though the Ameri¬ 
cans retreated, the advantage remained with them. Stuart began 
falling back the next day, and Greene pursued him nearly to 
Charleston. In the battle, Colonel Washington was wounded 
and taken prisoner. 

A Daring Exploit. — During the retreat, Manning, of Lee’s 
legion, suddenly found himself surrounded by the enemy, with 
not an American within several hundred rods. Dashing up to 
an officer, he wrenched his sword from his grasp, seized him by 
the collar, and held his body as a shield while he backed away, 
under a hot fire, from his dangerous position. The struggling 
officer in affright called out: “I am Sir Henry Barry, deputy 
adjutant general, captain in the fifty-second regiment, and — ” 
“That will do,” interrupted his captor, “you’re the man I was 
looking for,” and he safely rejoined his friends with his distin¬ 
guished prisoner. 

This may be said to have ended the war in that section. 
Partisan fighting and skirmishing continued, but nothing of 
moment took place. The South Carolina legislature was con¬ 
vened within thirty-five miles of Charleston, and, with slight 
exceptions, the only British soldiers in the South were at Charles- 


196 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

ton, Savannah, and Wilmington. The plan of conquering the 
States in detail had failed, and failed forever. 

The Campaign in the North; Revolt of the Pennsylvania Line. 
— The year 1781 opened gloomily in the North. At the begin¬ 
ning of the year, con¬ 
gress called for a 
regular army of thirty- 
seven thousand men, 
but the response was 
only partial, and the 
supplies, being left 
to the respective 
States, amounted to 
nothing. While mat¬ 
ters were in this dis¬ 
piriting condition, 
the whole Pennsyl¬ 
vania line, in camp 
at Morristown, num¬ 
bering nearly two 
thousand, revolted. 
They had repeatedly 
complained that they 
had no pay, clothing, 
or food, and that their 
terms of enlistment 
had 'expired. They 
determined to march 
to Philadelphia and 
either obtain redress or go to their homes. In the attempt to 
check the mutineers, several of them were killed. General Wayne 
drew his pistols, but several bayonets were thrust against his 
breast, the desperate men declaring that, while they respected 
him, they would run him through at the first discharge of his 
weapons. 



REVOLT OF THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE 



EVENTS OF 1781 


197 


They elected their own officers and, thirteen hundred strong 
and with six field pieces, set out from Morristown for Philadel¬ 
phia. Congress was alarmed on hearing the news and despatched 
a committee to meet and calm them. Clinton sent agents among 
the patriots, offering them big pay and rewards if they would 
enter his lines and join him. The soldiers seized the agents, 
turned them over to Wayne, and advised him to hang them off¬ 
hand. Although goaded to resistance against their own authori¬ 
ties, they would never give aid to the public enemy. 

The committee from congress met the mutineers at Trenton 
on the 9th of January. Three days were spent in conference, 
and the difficulty settled. It was agreed that all arrears should 
be paid at the earliest possible moment, and those whose terms 
of enlistment had expired should be discharged. As a conse¬ 
quence,-about half the Pennsylvania troops were allowed to go 
to their homes. 

The occurrence spurred congress to its duty. An agent was 
sent to France to secure another loan of money. Robert Morris 
was made secretary of finance, and the Bank of North America was 
organized, Morris and a number of his wealthy friends pledging 
their private fortunes to sustain the credit of the government. 

Arnold’s Raiding Expedition. — Benedict Arnold, the traitor, 
was now a brigadier general in the British army. In command 
of a fleet and a land force of sixteen hundred men, he sailed for 
the coast of Virginia in December, 1780, and destroyed a large 
amount of public and private property. Lafayette was too weak 
to check him, but Cornwallis, arriving in May, displaced Arnold, 
who was sent northward to New York, from which point he led 
a plundering expedition to New London, Connecticut, his old 
home. The town was pillaged and burned, and it is said that 
Arnold gleefully watched the destruction from a church steeple. 
During the plundering, a woman recognized Arnold and aimed 
a musket at him and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, however, 
it missed fire, and thus the traitor had another hair’s-breadth 
escape from death. 


198 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The Last Campaign. — In the month of May Washington and 
Rochambeau (ro-shong-bo f ), commander of the French allies, 
held a conference at Weathersfield, Connecticut, over the plan 
of capturing New York, with the aid of the French fleet at New¬ 
port and that of Count de Grasse (grass) from the West Indies. 
No definite decision was reached, but Clinton in New York was 
convinced that a campaign was to be made against him. 

Meanwhile Cornwallis was doing his best, with his superior 
force, to catch Lafayette and his few troops. The agile French¬ 
man, however, eluded him, and finally the British general received 
orders, in the latter part of June, to send reinforcements to Clin¬ 
ton in New York to repel the expected attack by Washington. 
Unable to hold Williamsburg with his weakened army, Cornwallis 
notified his superior officer that he intended to pass the James 
and withdraw to Portsmouth. Reinforcements from England 
having reached Clinton, he countermanded his order, and directed 
Cornwallis to establish an intrenched camp as a nucleus for future 
operations. Cornwallis fixed upon Yorktown and Gloucester, 
after making a number of surveys. Portsmouth, therefore, was 
evacuated, and by the latter part of August the positions named 
were occupied by the British army in Virginia. 

Washington, with the eye of a general, made his far-reaching 
plans, seeing clearly the inevitable end. Early in June Rocham¬ 
beau set his troops in motion. They numbered four thousand 
and marched through Connecticut in superb order. On the 6th 
of July they, with Washington’s army, were encamped in a line 
from Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson to the Bronx River. They 
made so many threatening demonstrations against the city of 
New York that Clinton thought (as the patriots meant he should 
think) that their intention was to attack the city at once. 

Lafayette had been ordered to hold Cornwallis where he was 
and prevent his escape into North Carolina. Notice reached 
Washington that De Grasse would arrive at the mouth of the 
Chesapeake by the end of August. On the 19th of that month 
the allied troops were ordered under arms, facing New York. 


EVENTS OF 1781 


99 


Then, instead of marching against the city, they wheeled and 
started for Virginia. Feints were still maintained against the 
city, so that it was not until the 2d of September that Clinton 
awoke to the astounding fact that he was outwitted, and he and 
his troops were not in the least danger of molestation. 

To the booming of cannon, the ringing of bells, and the cheers 
of the excited populace, the armed hosts tramped through the 
streets of Philadelphia. They and every one knew that momen¬ 
tous events were at hand, and an epoch in the history of the nation 
was about to open. Morris had exhausted his last penny in rais¬ 
ing money for the troops, but he borrowed twenty thousand dol¬ 
lars from Rochambeau, which was distributed among the needy 
patriots. Washington rode ahead at the rate of sixty miles a 
day, and thus secured time to make a brief visit to Mount 
Vernon, which he had not seen for more than six years. 

On the 30th of August, Count de Grasse dropped anchor within 
the capes of the Chesapeake. The English fleet appeared on 
the 5th of the following month. The French attacked and 
inflicted so much damage that the British vessels returned to 
New York. This gave De Barras a chance to run in with the 
French transports from Newport, containing the artillery for the 
siege. On the 28th the allied troops, twelve thousand strong, 
drove in the outposts and took position before the Yorktown 
intrenchments. 

That night Washington slept on the ground in the open air, the 
root of a mulberry tree serving him as a pillow. The next day 
the allied armies were posted, the Americans on the right and 
the French on the left, or west side. On October 5, trenches 
were opened within six hundred yards of the enemy’s line. The 
bombardment began and continued without cessation for four 
days and nights. Governor Nelson, being asked to direct the 
bombardment, picked out a fine mansion which he believed to 
be the headquarters of Cornwallis, and ordered the gunners to 
knock it to fragments. It was his own home. 

The vessels in the harbor fired red-hot shot, the English reply- 


200 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ing with great vigor. Their cavalry was so short of forage that 
many of the horses were killed and rolled into the river. An 
epidemic broke out in the town, and more than a fourth of Corn¬ 
wallis’s army were forced into the hospital. The second parallel 
was begun by Baron Steuben’s division, and on the night of 
October n it was within three hundred yards of the British, 
who kept up a hot fire on the besiegers. The latter were so 
annoyed by the flanking fire from two redoubts, that an assault 
was ordered on the evening of the 14th. So impetuous was the 
attack that both were captured within a few minutes—one by 
the French and the other by the Americans, the allies working 
in harmony and with generous rivalry. 

Surrender of Cornwallis.—As the days and nights passed, 
Cornwallis grew weaker and Washington stronger. The longing 
eyes of the British commander saw no sail bringing the expected 
relief from Clinton. The hour came when all the guns along his 
front were dismounted and his shells expended. In his despera¬ 
tion he saw but one hope: that was to abandon everything, cross 
the river at night to Gloucester, overcome the French stationed 
there, and flee through Pennsylvania and New Jersey to New 
York. In the attempt, he got a portion of his army over, but a 
storm drove the boats down stream, and they could not be recov¬ 
ered before daylight. Then they were used to bring back the 
troops that had been taken across. All hope was now gone, and 
Cornwallis opened negotiations for surrender. The terms were 
fixed, and the surrender took place on the 19th of October, 1781. 

The scene will always remain one of the most impressive in 
the history of our country. At two o’clock in the' afternoon the 
British army marched out of Yorktown, with slow step, shouldered 
arms, and cased colors. The allied troops were drawn up on 
opposite sides of the road for more than a mile, the Americans 
on the right, the French on the left. Washington and Rocham- 
bea.i, each with his staff, sat on their horses at the head of the 
army. All mere spectators had been ordered to keep away by 
Washington, who repressed every sign of exultation. 



SURRENDER OF CORNWALLIS 





202 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


General O’Hara was at the head of the defeated men. When 
he came opposite Washington, he lifted his hat and apologized 
for the absence of Cornwallis, because of illness. Washington in 
reply said that to General Lincoln had been assigned the duty of 
receiving the submission of the troops. This was a pleasant duty 
to Lincoln, who had been obliged to hand his own sword to 
Clinton the previous year on the surrender of Charleston. 
Lincoln conducted the troops to an open field, and the order to 
“ground arms ” was given. Some of the soldiers, in their anger, 
flung down their guns so violently as to break them. A sharp 
command from Lincoln stopped the irregularity. The prisoners 
were then conducted back to Yorktown, to remain under guard 
until taken elsewhere. 

The British army surrendered included seven thousand two 
hundred and forty-seven English and Hessian soldiers and eight 
hundred and forty sailors. Seventy-five brass and thirty-one iron 
guns and the accoutrements of the army fell into our hands. 
The victory was the knell of the British conquest of America. 

The News in Philadelphia. —A courier mounted a swift horse 
and started for Philadelphia with the news. “Past two o’clock 
and Cornwallis is taken! ” was the thrilling cry that rang through 
the streets of that city and brought nearly every one from his 
house, breathless with excitement. Soon all the bells in the city 
were ringing; people went mad with joy, kissing one another, 
flinging their hats in air, and shouting through what remained 
of the night and into the next day. Early in the morning con¬ 
gress met, and in the afternoon marched in solemn procession 
to the Dutch Lutheran Church, where thanks were given to 
Almighty God for his deliverance of the nation. The aged door¬ 
keeper of congress was so overcome with joy that he dropped 
dead. Washington ordered divine service to be held at the 
heads of the regiments, because of the “particular interposition 
of Providence in their behalf.” 

The News in England. — In England the news produced a pro¬ 
found impression. Lord North paced his room, flinging his 


EVENTS OF 1781 


203 


arras in agony, and exclaiming: “My God! it is all over!” 
The people demanded that the attempts to subdue the colonies 
should cease at once, and called for the removal of the ministers 
who advocated otherwise. The house of commons declared by 
vote that whoever advised the king to continue hostilities should 
be looked upon as a public enemy. At the beginning of May, 

1782, Sir Guy Carleton arrived in New York for propositions for 
reconciliation between the two countries. 

While the surrender at Yorktown virtually ended the war and 
"secured the independence of the United States, the patriot armies 
still kept the field and considerable fighting took place. Greene 
held the British in Charleston, and Wayne guarded the garrisons 
in Augusta. It is said that the last blood shed in the Revolution 
was that of Captain Wilmot, in September, 1782, in a skirmish 
at Stono Ferry. 

Peace.—The preliminary articles of peace were signed at 
Versailles (ver-salz) November 30, 1782, but the final treaty was 
not executed until the 3d of September of the following year. 
Previous to this, April 19, on the eighth anniversary of the battle 
of Lexington, Washington, at the headquarters of the army, offi¬ 
cially declared the war at an end. 

Charleston was evacuated December 14, 1782, and Savannah 
July 11, 1783. The English forces gathered in New York, and 
the present metropolis of America was evacuated November 25, 

1783. The troops embarked in boats for Staten and Long 
islands, preparatory to taking ship for home. On the same 
morning General Knox, who had come down from West Point, 
entered the city with some troops from the Bowery. He took 
possession of Fort George, upon the Battery, amid the firing of 
guns and the cheering of the assembled multitude. Washington 
and his staff and Governor Clinton and suite made formal entry 
soon after. The commander-in-chief took up his headquarters 
at Fraunces Tavern, on the corner of Pearl and Broad streets, 
where, on December 4, he bade farewell to his principal officers. 
He then set out for Annapolis, and there surrendered his com- 


204 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

» 

mission to congress and became an ordinary citizen of the 
republic whose independence he had done so much to secure. 

TOPICS. —The wisdom of General Greene’s appointment to command in 
the South; his course of action; General Morgan and other officers; battle 
of the Cowpens; fruits of the victory; the aim of Cornwallis; how he was 
baffled; the engagement at Guilford Court-House; the next step of Corn¬ 
wallis; the successes of the Americans; battle of Eutaw Springs; the exploit 
of Manning of Lee’s legion; action of congress at the beginning of the year; 
the revolt of the Pennsylvania line. 

The action to which congress was spurred; Arnold’s raiding expedition 
into Virginia; his expedition to New London, Connecticut; his narrow es¬ 
cape; the conference between Washington and Rochambeau; Washington’s 
plan of campaign; the march southward; the patriotism of Robert Morris; 
Count de Grasse; progress of the siege of Yorktown; hopeless situation of 
Cornwallis; his surrender; number that surrendered; how the news was re¬ 
ceived in Philadelphia; action of congress; the news in England; Lord 
North; the further fighting that was done; preliminary articles of peace; the 
final treaty; evacuation of Charleston; of New York; occupation of the city 
by the American troops; Washington’s farewell to the army; his surrender of 
his commission. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Notes. — Henry Lee was born in Virginia in 1756 and was 
a graduate of Princeton College. He was a valued friend of Washington and 
enlisted in the Revolution before he had attained his majority. He was a 
dashing officer who, in the latter half of the war, was in command of “ Lee’s 
Legion,” which fact and his numerous brilliant exploits caused him to be 
known as “ Light Horse Harry.” He received a gold medal from congress 
for his daring capture of Paulus Hook (now Jersey City) in 1779. He effec¬ 
tively covered Greene’s retreat in 1781 and was one of the most prominent 
officers in the principal operations in Georgia and the Carolinas. He was 
elected to the continental congress and was governor of Virginia in 1792-1795. 
General Lee suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. He was author of 
the oft-quoted expression, “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of 
his countrymen,” which was used by John Marshall in his eulogy upon Wash¬ 
ington. General Lee was a congressman 1799-1801, and while engaged in 
suppressing a fierce mob in Baltimore, in 1814, he received injuries which 
resulted four years later in his death. He was the father of General Robert 
E. Lee, the distinguished leader of the Confederacy. 

Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, was born in England in 
! 734> an d removing to Philadelphia, became wealthy. He was an ardent 
lover of his adopted country, and one of the signers of the Declaration of 


EVENTS OF 1781 


205 


Independence. He was an active member of congress and organized the 
Bank of North America in 1781. He was member of the constitutional con¬ 
vention of 1787 and United States senator 1789-1795. His repeated and 
successful efforts to furnish the patriot armies with funds undoubtedly saved 
the cause of independence several times from collapse. It is a sad fact, how¬ 
ever, that in the later years of his life, when unfortunate in business, this noble 
patriot spent a number of months in prison for debt. He died in 1806. 

Comte de Rochambeau was born in France in 1725 and served his country 
in several wars before coming to the United States, in 1780, in command of 
the French force which gave so invaluable aid in the closing campaign of the 
war. He returned to France in 1783, became a field marshal, and died in 
1807. 

Count de Grasse, born in France in 1723, commanded the French fleet of 
twenty-nine vessels and three thousand men which helped Washington and 
Rochambeau at the siege of Yorktown. Returning to his native land, he 
died in 1788. 

Frederick North, Earl of Guilford, was born in England in 1733. He is 
best known as Lord North. He favored the most drastic measures against 
the American colonies, and we have learned of his shock upon hearing of the 
surrender of Cornwallis. He was lord of the treasury in 1763 and chancellor 
of the exchequer and leader of the house of commons in 1767. He became 
first lord of the treasury and prime minister of England in 1770, holding the 
office until 1782, when he resigned, dying ten years later. 

Henry Knox was a native of Boston, where he was born in 1750. He had 
charge of a bookstore, which he left in order to take part in the battle of 
Bunker Hill. He was made a brigadier general of artillery, and rendered 
good service at Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth, and Yorktown, winning 
promotion to major generalship. He was made secretary of war in 1785, and 
was reappointed by Washington, under whom he served until 1795. In 1806, 
he met his death from the lodgment of a chicken bone in his throat while at 
the dinner table. 

Daniel Morgan, one of the hardest fighters of the Revolution, was born in 
New Jersey in 1736.* He fought through the French and Indian war and 
against Pontiac, after which he became a farmer in Virginia. Twelve years 
later, he led a company of Virginia riflemen to Boston to aid Washington in 
the siege of the city. He was specially active in Montgomery’s expedition 
against Quebec, and was captured in the assault on the city. He was released 
by Sir Guy Carleton and was soon again striking telling blows for his country. 
He was with Gates in the Burgoyne campaign and rendered great aid to the 
patriot army. In 1780, he was made brigadier general and won the battle of 
the Cowpens, effecting a junction with Greene, as we have learned, despite the 


20 6 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


determined efforts of Cornwallis to prevent it. He was a congressman from 
Virginia in 1797 and died in 1802. 

Thomas Nelson, who, as related, directed the fire of the patriot artillery 
against his own house, where Cornwallis made his headquarters at Yorktown, 
was born in Virginia in 1738, and represented the State in the continental 
congress in 1776, 1777, and 1779. He was a signer of the Declaration of 
Independence and governor of Virginia in 1781. The most creditable fact 
in his career is that, although he was enormously wealthy, he spent all that he 
possessed in aiding his country in its struggle for independence. 

To the Pupil. — Complete the following skeleton history of battles, in 
their regular order, from the opening of the Revolution to the surrender at 
Yorktown. 


SKELETON HISTORY OF PERIOD III 


Name of Battle Where Fought 


Date 


Who Won 


Lexington 


Lexington, Mass. April 19, 1775 Americans 













Part IV 

THE PERIOD OF FORMATION AND GROWTH 


CHAPTER XIX 

FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT 

E end of a great war is always followed by 
depression, and it requires many years for a 
nation to recover from its exhaustion. War 
is a great calamity and never to be resorted 
to except for self-preservation. Let us all 
pray that the day may soon come when arbi¬ 
tration shall be the only method of settling 
disputes between nations, as well as between 
individuals. It will be the grandest step 
forward ever taken in the world’s civilization. 

Poverty and Unrest of the Nation. —At the close of the Revo¬ 
lution the United States was as poor as it could be. There was 
no commerce, trade was destroyed, and the currency that had 
been issued possessed no value at all. The great source of 
trouble was the powerlessness of congress over the different States. 
All that that body could do was to recommend certain measures, 
and the States accepted or rejected the advice as they felt dis¬ 
posed. 

Washington and the leading statesmen saw how impossible it 
was to thrive without a strong central government, with clearly 
defined powers and the authority to enforce its laws. The Articles 
of Confederation, adopted in 1777, had no substance. Nothing 

207 







208 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


gave them force except a common danger, or the willingness of 
all concerned. It was not until March, 1781, that Maryland, 
the last State, subscribed to them. Congress had no power over 
domestic or foreign commerce. Each State made its own regu¬ 
lations, and the friction at times threatened civil war. 

This extreme poverty and weakness of the government endan¬ 
gered its existence before the army was disbanded. The condi¬ 
tion of the soldiers was 
pitiful. They had no 
money, and their fami¬ 
lies were reduced to 
rags and starvation. 
While Washington was 
at his headquarters in 
Newburg, in • March, 
1783, an anonymous 
address was distributed 
among the troops, urg¬ 
ing them to overthrow 
the civil authorities 
and obtain their rights 
by force. Washington 
was asked to become 
king, but the great man 
spurned the offer. He 
deeply sympathized 
with the distressed 
patriots, and finally secured a grant of five years’ full pay for 
the officers. Thus that peril was averted. 

In 1783 the Northern and Middle States contained about a 
million and a half of people, and the Southern a million. Vir¬ 
ginia was the most populous, with four hundred thousand inhabi¬ 
tants, and Pennsylvania and Massachusetts came next, with three 
hundred and fifty thousand apiece. The population of Phila¬ 
delphia was forty thousand, of Boston twenty thousand, while 



WASHINGTON’S PATRIOTISM 





FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT 209 

New York had barely fourteen thousand. The estimated debt of 
the country in the spring of 1783 was forty-two million dollars, 
and that of the different States twenty million dollars. 

The States dragged on for two years, growing poorer, if that 
were possible, and steadily diverging from one another in feeling 
and interest, until everything seemed to be going to ruin. The 
germs of good government, however, did not die and were soon 



SHAYS’S INSURRECTION 


to spring into new life. The preliminary steps toward forming 
a new Constitution were taken by the commissioners of Mary¬ 
land and Virginia in 1795. Delegates from five States met at 
Annapolis in September, 1786, and formulated a report, advising 
congress to call a general convention for a more effective revision 
of the Articles of Confederation. 

Shays’s Insurrection.—Among the events which helped the 
movement for a strong central government was the action of 

p 




210 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Captain Daniel Shays of Massachusetts. He headed a mob of 
two thousand men, who dispersed the supreme court sitting at 
Springfield, and demanded the abolishment of taxes and the issue 
of paper money for general use. Congress sent General Lincoln, 
with four thousand troops, to disperse the rioters. Lincoln 
replaced the judges in their seats, and fired upon the mob when 
they were about to attack the arsenal. They scattered, and the 
little rebellion ended. 

The Constitutional Convention. — This body assembled in Phila¬ 
delphia in May, 1787, every State except Rhode Island being 
represented. They met in the same room, in Independence 
Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed. 
Washington was elected president of the convention, and some 
of the ablest men of the nation took part in the proceedings. 

Discussion soon proved that a mere revision of the Articles of 
Confederation would not do; it was necessary to form a wholly 
new system of government. At last, after full discussion and 
with extreme care, the Constitution was completed and signed, 
September 17, 1787, by all the delegates except Gerry of Massa¬ 
chusetts and Randolph and Mason of Virginia. It was to go into 
effect March 4, 1789, if adopted by nine States. Pennsylvania, 
Delaware, and New Jersey ratified it in 1787, and the other States 
followed, with the exception of North Carolina and Rhode Island, 
which adopted it in 1789 and 1790, respectively. 

Presidential elections were held in the States that had ratified 
the Constitution, except New York, where the legislature omitted 
to pass a law providing a mode of choosing electors. Ten States, 
therefore, voted. They gave every one of their electoral votes 
— sixty-nine in number — to George Washington for President. 
John Adams received thirty-four and became Vice President. 
The rule prevailed that the one receiving the largest number of 
votes was elected President, and the next highest Vice President. 
A majority of the whole number was necessary to the choice of a 
President, but not of a Vice President. Thus the two might 
belong to different political parties. 


FORMATION OF THE GOVERNMENT 


211 


The Northwestern Territory. — The territory of the United 
States, at the close of the Revolution, comprised that enormous 
region between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi and from 
the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes on the north to the thirty-first 
parallel south. Northwest of the Ohio was a vast tract claimed 
by several States, because it was included in their original charter 
limits. The State boundaries were a source of trouble for years. 
In the original grants, the western boundaries of New Hampshire, 
Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Mary- 
land were defined. New York claimed that she had no western 
boundary, but was satisfied to have it remain as it is now. The 
other six States were supposed to extend westward to the Pacific, 
but when Louisiana was transferred to Spain, in 1763, the Mis¬ 
sissippi River became the extreme western limit. 

The most remarkable claim was that of Virginia. It will be 
noted that with most of the other States claiming to extend to 
the Mississippi, the northern and southern boundaries are parallel; 
but the claim of Virginia was that her northern boundary took a 
northwest course, so that her territory widened out like a fan and 
included the present States of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 
Michigan, and Wisconsin, while the claims of Massachusetts and 
Connecticut invaded those of Virginia. The other States insisted 
that since the thirteen won this territory from Great Britain, all 
should share in its apportionment. 

There was but one way of settling the wrangle, and New York 
set the example in 1780, by ceding all her western claims to the 
United States. Virginia did the same in 1784, Massachusetts 
in 1785, Connecticut in 1786, South Carolina in 1787, North 
Carolina in 1790, and Georgia in 1802. By this sensible course, 
the western boundaries of the States named were fixed as they are 
to-day. The Western Reserve along Lake Erie in northeastern 
Ohio is so called because Connecticut retained and sold it. 

Congress, in session in New York, before, during, and after 
the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, passed a memora¬ 
ble ordinance in 1787. It provided for the government of the 


212 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Northwestern Territory, until certain portions should contain sixty 
thousand inhabitants, when they were to be admitted as States. 
It prohibited forever “slavery or involuntary servitude, except 
for crime,” therein. 

A tide of emigration set westward, for the lands were fertile, 
and the Indian titles to seventeen million acres had been extin¬ 
guished. In 1788 the settlement of Marietta was begun at the 
mouth of the Muskingum, and during the same year more than 
twenty thousand people built their cabins in the Northwestern 
Territory, which afterward formed the populous States of Ohio, 
Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin! 

TOPICS. —The depression that follows the end of a great war; arbitration; 
the poverty of the United States; commerce, trade, and the currency; the 
main source of trouble; what was needed; the Articles of Confederation; 
the condition of the soldiers; what occurred at Newburg; the relief extended 
by congress; the population of the States in 1783; of Philadelphia, Boston, 
and New York; the national and State debts; the preliminary steps toward 
the formation of a strong central government; Shays’s insurrection; the con¬ 
stitutional convention; when it was signed; when adopted by the different 
States; the presidential elections that followed; the results of the election; 
extent of the United States territory at the close of the Revolution; the State 
boundaries; the claims made by the original grants; the remarkable claim of 
Virginia; how the dispute was settled; the erection of the Northwestern Ter¬ 
ritory; what the ordinance provided; the emigration westward; settlement 
of Marietta; number of settlers for that year in the Northwest; the States 
afterward formed from the Northwestern Territory. 


CHAPTER XX 


Washington’s administrations.— 1789-1797 


w 



$ilc of Wash-iuglon's JJltthjjIate. 


[ASHINGTON’S Patriotism.—Washington would 
| have preferred to spend the remainder of 
his life in his tranquil home at Mount Ver¬ 
non, but his patriotism would not allow him 
to disregard the call of his country. He had 
so little money at the time, that his home 
was threatened by the sheriff, and he had to 
borrow funds with which to pay his most 
pressing debts. 

Washington’s Inauguration. —The President^lecfTeft Mount 
Vernon on April 16, and the entire journey to New York was a 
continual ovation. He received honors at almost every step of 
the way, and was welcomed to the nation’s capital by the joyous 
thousands who felt thaLnb reward could be too great for the 
illustrious patriot thartfnad enshrined himself forever in the hearts 
of his loving countrymen. The inauguration ceremonies took 
place April 30, in Federal Hall, on the present site of the sub¬ 
treasury building. Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New 
York administered the oath, in a balcony of the senate chamber, 
in full view of the vast concourse on the outside, who cheered 
the great man to the echo. Other ceremonies followed, Wash¬ 
ington showing deep emotion at the manifestations of love and 
loyalty on the part of all. 

The First Constitutional Congress.—The first session of the 
first constitutional congress was chiefly occupied in setting the 
government machinery in motion. The following nominations 

213 



214 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


for the first cabinet were made by Washington and confirmed by 
the senate: Thomas Jefferson, secretary of foreign affairs, after¬ 
ward known as secretary of state; Alexander Hamilton, secretary 
of the treasury; Henry Knox, secretary of war; and Edmund 
Randolph, attorney general. John Jay was appointed chief 
justice of the supreme court, with John'Rutledge, James Wilson, 



WASHINGTON’S INAUGURATION 

William Cushing, Robert H. Harrison, and John Blair associates. 
(The senate refused to confirm the nomination of Rutledge.) 

Federalists and Republicans.—The most urgent question was 
that of finance. Hamilton handled it with great skill. The 
debt of the confederation and States was almost eighty million 
dollars. Hamilton’s plan, as submitted to congress, called for 
the payment by the United States of every dollar due to Ameri¬ 
can citizens, and also the war debt of the country. There was 









WASHING TON'S AD MINIS TRA TIONS 


215 


strong opposition to the scheme, but it prevailed. The discus¬ 
sions in congress brought out the lines between the Federalists 
and the Republicans, or, as they were afterward called, Demo¬ 
crats. The Federalists favored the enlargement of the powers of 
the general government, while the Re¬ 
publicans insisted upon holding the 
government to the exact letter of the 
Constitution, and giving to the indi¬ 
vidual States all rights not expressly pro¬ 
hibited by the Constitution. 

The Seat of Government. — North Caro¬ 
lina did not adopt the Constitution until 
November 13, 1789. Little Rhode Island 
sulked until Massachusetts and Connecti¬ 
cut proposed to parcel her between them, 
when she came to terms and adopted the 
Constitution, May 29, 1790. It was decided to transfer the seat 
of government to Philadelphia until 1800, when it was to be 
permanently fixed upon the eastern bank of the Potomac. The 
third session of the first congress, therefore, was held in Phila¬ 
delphia, on the first Monday in December, 1790. Through the 
efforts of Hamilton, the United States Bank and a national mint 
were established in that* city, and did much to advance the 
prosperity of the country. 

A Protective Tariff.—In 1791, Hamilton made a memorable 
report to congress. In it he favored a protective tariff, recom¬ 
mending that the materials from which goods are manufactured 
should not be taxed, and advising that articles which competed 
with those made in this country should be prohibited. These 
and other important features were embodied in a bill, which was 
passed February 9, 1792. 

Trouble with the Indians.—Trouble occurred with the Indians 
in the Northwestern Territory and in the South. Georgia was 
dissatisfied with the treaty, by which a considerable part of the 
State was relinquished to the Indians. The difficulty in the 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 


216 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Northwest was much more serious. General Harmar was sent to 
punish the red men for their many outrages, but was twice 
defeated. Then General St. Clair took his place. Before he set 
out, Washington impressively warned him against being surprised; 
but he, too, was beaten and his army routed with great slaughter. 

“Mad Anthony” Wayne now took up the task, with nearly 
three thousand men, and completed it thoroughly. At Fallen 
Timbers, August 20, 1794, he met the combined tribes and 



BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS 


delivered a crushing defeat, from which the Indians did not 
recover for years. One year later, eleven hundred chiefs and 
warriors met the United States commissioners at Fort Greenville 
and signed a treaty of peace, relinquishing at the same time 
a vast tract of land lying in the present States of Indiana and 
Michigan. 

The Whiskey Rebellion. — Among the important laws passed 
by congress was one imposing a duty on distilled spirits. This 
roused great opposition in western Pennsylvania, where whiskey 
was the principal article of manufacture and trade. The revolt 



WASHING TON'S ADMINIS TRA TIONS 


217 


there assumed such formidable proportions that it became known 
as the “Whiskey Rebellion,” and the President was compelled to 
call out the militia, fifteen thousand strong, to suppress it. 

Washington’s Second Term.—Washington did not desire a 
second term, but his countrymen would not permit him to decline. 
He again received all the electoral votes cast, while the next 
highest number went to John Adams. Strong party spirit was 
shown, Hamilton being the leader of the Federalists and Jefferson 
the foremost Republican. 

“Citizen Genet.” — During Washington’s administrations, 
France was plunged into the bloodiest revolution known in his¬ 
tory. Her representative in this country was Edmond Charles 
Genet (zheh-na), better known as “Citizen Genet.” Landing at 
Charleston, South Carolina, in April, 1793, he did not wait to 
•present his credentials to the government, but began enlisting 
soldiers and fitting out privateers for the French service. Many 
thoughtless citizens encouraged him, but the wise Washington, 
finding that Genet defied him, ended the business by compelling 
his country to recall him. 

Jay’s Treaty.—There was much trouble also with Great 
Britain, but a treaty was finally arranged with her by our special 
envoy, John Jay. One of its provisions guaranteed payment to 
British citizens of debts due them before the war. This caused 
much opposition, but the time came when it was admitted that 
Jay’s treaty was one of the best made by our government. 

Retirement of Washington.—Washington was strongly urged 
to be a candidate a third time for the presidency, but refused. 
He was growing old; he had given the best years of his life to 
the service of his country and yearned for the quiet, restful life 
at Mount Vernon. Nothing could dissuade him from his pur¬ 
pose, and in his farewell address to the people of the United 
States, September 17, 1786, he made known his decision. 

Presidential Election of 1796.—The presidential election of 
1796 was warmly contested. Of the one hundred and thirty-eight, 
electoral votes cast, John Adams, Federalist, received seventy- 


218 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


one, and Thomas Jefferson, Republican, sixty-eight. Thus the 
President and Vice President were politically opposed to each 
other. 

New States. — Three new States were formed during Washing¬ 
ton’s administrations. The first was Vermont, which came in 
March 4, 1791. The section was discovered by Champlain in 
1609, its name in French meaning “green mountain.” A settle¬ 
ment was made within its present limits at Fort Dummer by 
pioneers from Massachusetts. After the French and Indian war, 
emigrants came west of the Connecticut River in large numbers. 
New Hampshire claimed the territory. New York did the same, 
and, appealing to the king, he decided in favor of New York. 
The settlers of the “New Hampshire Grants” applied to the 
continental congress in 1776 for admission, but, as New York 
opposed, withdrew the application. The inhabitants took an 
active part in the Revolution. 

Kentucky was admitted June 1, 1792. Its name does not 
mean “dark and bloody ground,” as is generally supposed, but 
is derived from the Indian word, “ Kain-tuk-ae,” signifying 
“ Land at the head of the river. ” At first it was a part of Vir¬ 
ginia and was settled by Daniel Boone in 1769, and organized 
into a Territory in 1790. The numerous conflicts with Indians 
on its soil have well earned for it the suggestive title named. 

Tennessee was admitted June 1, 1796. Its name, according 
to some writers, is from “Tenasea,” an Indian chief, while others 
believe that it means “river of the big bend.” It was colonized 
in 1754, organized as the State of Frankland or Franklin in 1785, 
merged in the “Territory south of the Ohio” in 1789, and be¬ 
came a separate Territory in 1794. 

TOPICS. — Washington’s preference; his journey to New York; his inaugu¬ 
ration; the first session of the first constitutional congress; Washington’s first 
Cabinet; the Federalists and Republicans; adoption of the Constitution; the 
changes made in the national seat of government; the United States Bank and 
the mint; the first protective tariff; the troubles with the Indians; Wayne’s 
victory at Fallen Timbers; the treaty which followed; the Whiskey Rebellion; 


WASHING TON'S ADM INIS TRA TIONS 


219 


Washington’s second election; the doings of “Citizen Genet”; Jay’s treaty 
with England; the retirement of Washington; the presidential election of 
1796; the admission of Vermont; its early history; the admission of Ken¬ 
tucky; its early history; the admission of Tennessee; its early history. 

Biographical Notes. — Alexander Hamilton was born in the West 
Indies in 1757. As a child his precocity was remarkable. When fifteen years 
old he was sent to New York city, and soon after entered Columbia (then 
King’s) College. At the age of seventeen a patriotic speech made by him 
held his hearers spellbound. He organized a company of cavalry at the be¬ 
ginning of the war, before he was twenty years of age, and performed active 
service on Long Island and at White Plains. He was one of the most valua¬ 
ble members of Washington’s staff, serving uritil the close of the last campaign 
at York town. He was in the continental congress in 1782-1783, and was the 
ablest friend of the new Constitution which he helped to frame. In the con¬ 
vention held in New York to ratify the Constitution, three-fourths of the 
members were strongly opposed to its adoption. By the power of his logic 
and eloquence Hamilton won them over and secured the vote of the Empire 
State. His services as a member of Washington’s cabinet stamped him as 
one of the greatest statesmen of his time. He was the foremost Federalist as 
Jefferson was the foremost Republican, and even the genius of Washington 
could not keep them on good terms, as a consequence of which Hamilton 
resigned in 1795. In 1798, he was appointed inspector general at the request 
of Washington, when war with France was imminent. He read the vicious 
nature of Aaron Burr, and was so persistent an enemy of his schemes, that 
Burr challenged him to a duel, which was fought at Wehawken, New Jersey, 
July 11, 1804. Hamilton did not fire at Burr, but the latter took deliberate 
aim at Hamilton, who was mortally wounded. His death shocked the whole 
country. 

Edmund J. Randolph was a noted Virginian, born in 1753, who became 
an active patriotic leader soon after his graduation from William and Mary 
College. He was attorney general of Virginia, a member of the continental 
congress, and of the constitutional convention of 1786. He was governor of 
Virginia 1786-1788, and although he refused to sign the Constitution, he 
advocated its adoption by Virginia. He served as attorney general for Wash¬ 
ington 1789-1794, when he became secretary of state, but resigned in the fol¬ 
lowing year. He died in 1813. 

John Jay, born in 1745, was graduated from King’s (now Columbia) Col¬ 
lege and became an active member of the committee of correspondence. He 
was a delegate to the first continental congress and wrote the “Address to the 
People of Great Britain.” He was also in the second congress and helped 
to form the State constitution of New York, becoming chief justice^ of the 


220 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


State in 1777. In 1780, he was made minister to Spain, and helped Adams 
and Franklin to negotiate peace. He served as secretary of foreign affairs in 
1784-1^89, and was governor of New York 1795-1801, dying in 1829. 

Josiah Harmar was born in 1753 and served through the Revolution, 
attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. From 1789 to 1792 he was com¬ 
mander-in-chief of the United States army. He died in 1813. 

Arthur St. Clair was an English soldier, born in 1734, who won laurels at 
the siege of Quebec. He was with General Sullivan in the Canadian expedi¬ 
tion of 1776, and commanded a brigade at Trenton and Princeton. He was a 
major general when he surrendered Ticonderoga in 1777, and was present at 
the surrender of Cornwallis in 1781. After serving in the continental con¬ 
gress from 1785 to 1787, from Pennsylvania, he became governor of the North¬ 
west Territory, holding the office from 1789 to 1802. He died in 1818. 

Edmond C. Genet was born in France in 1765. When Genet, at the de¬ 
mand of Washington, was recalled in 1794, he was too wise to return to 
France, where he would have been guillotined, but, remaining in this country, 
became naturalized, married an excellent lady, lived happily, and died in 1834. 

John Adams, second President of the United States, was born at Braintree, 
Massachusetts, October 19, 1735. He was graduated from Harvard College 
and became a lawyer. He was an industrious and influential member of the 
first and second continental congresses, where he was chairman of twenty-five 
committees and a member of more than sixty others. No man did as much as 
he to strengthen the sentiment for American independence. To him was 
mainly due the adoption by congress of the Declaration of Independence, and 
it was at his suggestion that Washington was appointed commander-in-chief 
of the American armies. He was of medium stature, rotund person, bald on 
the top of his head, deliberate of speech and utterance, a firm believer in 
Christianity and of spotless character. He was troubled with a quick temper, 
however, and at the inauguration of Jefferson, as his successor, showed his 
resentment by leaving Washington early in the morning, so as not to be pres¬ 
ent at the ceremonies. He and Jefferson became reconciled afterward and 
corresponded to the close of their lives. One of the strangest facts in our his¬ 
tory is that Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, and 
John Adams, who secured its adoption, both died on the same day, July 4, 
1826, exactly fifty years after the signing of the immortal document. When 
Adams took the oath of office, March 4, 1797, Washington was among those 
who were present. 


CHAPTER XXI 


JOHN ADAMS’S ADMINISTRATION.- I797-180I 

REATENED War with France. — Charles 
C. Pinckney, our minister to France, was 
dismissed, with notice that no other repre¬ 
sentative from this country would be received 
until we had complied with the demands of 
the new French republic. Furthermore, the 
French marine were ordered to prey upon 
American commerce. The President called 
an extra session of congress, and Elbridge 
Gerry and John Marshall were appointed to accompany Minister 
Pinckney back to France, in the effort to effect a reconcili¬ 
ation. 

Their reception was insulting. M. Tal¬ 
leyrand informed them that they could 
not be received by the directory (the rul¬ 
ing body then in France), and that as a 
preliminary to all business a loan should 
be made to France, and each member of 
the directory must be presented with a 
bribe of two hundred and forty thousand 
dollars. Pinckney replied with the his¬ 
torical words: “Millions for defence, 

• but not one cent for tribute! ” 

President Adams now began preparations for war. All com¬ 
mercial intercourse with France was suspended; the President 
was authorized to detach eighty thousand men from the militia 

221 



JOHN ADAMS 




222 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



of the United States, and a navy department was organized. 
Twenty-four vessels were to be prepared, and our merchants were 
authorized to arm themselves against the French vessels of war. 
General Washington was once more placed at the head of the 
army, and he selected Alexander Hamilton as the active com¬ 
mander. Although an 
old man, Washington 
declared, when his 
commission was handed 
to him in the field near 
his home, that he was 
ready for any service 
his country might ask. 

Hostilities occurred 
on the ocean. Com¬ 
modore Truxtun, in 
command of the frigate 
Constellation , captured 
the French war vessels 
Z’ Insurgent and La 
Vengeance. But that 
marvellous military 
genius, Napoleon Bo¬ 
naparte, had fought his 
way through blood to 
the throne of France, 
and he brought the mad 
people to their senses 

WASHINGTON RECEIVES HIS COMMISSION „ . , , 

sufficiently for them to 
see the folly of a war with the United States. A satisfactory 
treaty was made between the two countries in 1800. 

The Alien and Sedition Laws. — The violent denunciations of 
our government by the friends of France led to the passage, in 
the summer of 1798, of what was known as the “alien and sedi¬ 
tion laws.” The first gave the President the power to send out 




JOHN ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION 


223 


of the country any foreigner whom he believed to be dangerous 
to the peace, and extended the period of naturalization to four¬ 
teen years. The sedition law declared it a crime to “write, 
print, utter, or publish any false, scandalous, or malicious state¬ 
ment against either congress or the President. These laws awak¬ 
ened bitter opposition. Kentucky and Virginia declared that 
when congress passed acts unauthorized by the Constitution, as 
she had done in this instance, the States were not bound to obey 
them. These resolutions were dictated by Vice President Jeffer¬ 
son and were sent to the legislatures of other States. They 
became an all-absorbing theme of discussion for years. Within 
them was embodied the momentous question of “State rights,” 
or, more properly, “State sovereignty,” which bore its fruitage 
a half-century later. 

Death of Washington.—On the 14th of December, 1799, 
General Washington died at Mount Vernon. Exposure to a 
driving rain and snowstorm brought on pneumonia. Of no one 
can it be said so truly that a nation mourned his loss. He will 
always remain one of the grandest, -most illustrious, and heroic 
figures in history; one whose lofty character, wonderful gifts, and 
consecration to the highest good of his country have never been 
surpassed by any man, ancient or modern. He was buried with 
fitting honors, the remains being placed in the present receptacle 
in Mount Vernon in 1837. 

The resolutions offered in congress contained the immortal 
eulogy: “First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of 
his countrymen.” The distinguished jurist, John Marshall, de¬ 
livered the eulogy containing this expression, but, as we have 
learned, the author of the words was Washington’s former com¬ 
rade in arms and intimate friend, General Richard Henry Lee, 
or “Light Horse Harry,” as he was familiarly known. 

Removal of the National Capital to Washington, D.C.—The 
District of Columbia was ceded to the United States by Maryland 
and Virginia in 1790, for the purpose of making it the capital of 
our country. The city of Washington was laid out in 1781, and 


224 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


President Washington laid the cornerstone of the north wing of 
the capitol April 18, 1793. The Federal government was re¬ 
moved to Washington in the summer of 1800. 

Presidential Election of 1800. — Party lines were sharply drawn 
in the presidential election of 1800. The Federal party put for¬ 
ward as their candidate for President John Adams, and for Vice 
President Charles C. Pinckney. The candidates of the Republi¬ 
cans were Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Adams’s course 
during the troubles with France strengthened him, but the alien 
and sedition laws lost him the vote of New York, and conse¬ 
quently the election. He received sixty-five electoral votes, 
Pinckney sixty-four, and Jefferson and Burr each seventy-three. 
The latter being a tie, the contest was thrown into the house of 
representatives, where, on the thirty-sixth ballot, Jefferson was 
elected President and Burr Vice President. 

TOPICS. —The insulting course of France; the action of the President; 
the reception of our three representatives by M. Talleyrand; the reply of 
Pinckney; the preparations for war by the President; General Washington; 
the hostilities on the ocean; Napoleon Bonaparte; the treaty of 1800; the 
alien and sedition laws; what was done by the first; by the second; the 
bitter opposition to them; the death of Washington; removal of the national 
capital to Washington; the presidential election of 1800. 

Biographical Notes. — Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was born in 
South Carolina in 1746. He was attorney general of the colony and a member 
of the provincial congress. He did good service in the war until 1780, when 
he was among those who surrendered at Charleston. He assisted in framing 
the Constitution in 1787, and, after his repulse by Talleyrand and return 
home, was made major general in view of the expected war with France. 
Pinckney was a leading Federalist, and as such was defeated for the Vice 
Presidency in 1800, and for President in 1804 and 1808. He died in 1825. 

Elbridge Gerry, born in Massachusetts in 1744, was a member of the colo¬ 
nial assembly from 1772 to 1775, and of the continental congress from 1776 
to 1780 and from 1783 to 1785. Massachusetts sent him to the first United 
States congress in 1789 and he remained until 1793. He was elected Vice 
President as a Democrat in 1812 and died in office in 1814. In 1811 the 
Republicans of Massachusetts carried out a redistricting scheme while Gerry 
was governor (1810-1811). This unfair method of one political party taking 
advantage, when in power, of another has been followed to a greater or less 


JOHN ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION 225 

extent ever since, and derives its name, “ gerrymander,” from the fact that 
Gerry was governor at the time the trick was originated. 

John Marshall was born in Virginia in 1755, and was, therefore, but a youth 
when the Revolutionary war began. He enlisted, however, as a regimental 
officer and did good service throughout the struggle. He studied law after 
the close of hostilities, and as a member of the Virginia convention for ratify¬ 
ing the Constitution in 1788 he overcame all opposition. He was congress¬ 
man 1799-1800, and secretary of state 1800-1801, when President Adams 
appointed him chief justice of-the supreme court, which office he retained until 
his death in 1835. His great reputation was made as an “ interpreter ” of the 
national Constitution, and he was foremost of all American jurists. 

Thomas Truxtun, who taught the French cruisers their much-needed 
lesson, was born in 1755, and served as lieutenant of the privateer Congress 
when twenty-one years old. The following year he was captain of the Inde¬ 
pendence , and captured several prizes. He died in 1822. 

Aaron Burr was born in New Jersey in 1756, and was graduated from 
Princeton at the age of sixteen, with a “perfect” record of scholarship. He 
attained the rank of colonel in the Revolution, and afterward he became the 
attorney general of New York. He was devoid of moral principle, but by his 
captivating manners and political adroitness he was elected to the United States 
senate and to the vice presidency of the country. He tied the vote with Jeffer¬ 
son for the presidency in 1800 for more than thirty ballots. We have learned 
of the death of Hamilton at his hands. After that terrible deed, Burr engaged 
in what is believed to have been a treasonable scheme against the United 
States, which involved the erection of an independent State in the Southwest. 
He was tried upon the charge of treason, in Richmond, in 1806, Chief Justice 
Marshall presiding. He was acquitted and spent some years in Europe. Re¬ 
turning to New York, he died in obscurity on Staten Island in 1836. 

Thomas Jefferson, the “apostle of democracy,” was born at Shadwell, 
Albemarle county, Virginia, April 2, 1743. He was graduated from William 
and Mary College, and, studying for the bar, received three thousand dollars 
— a large sum in those days — during the first year of his practice. He was 
a man of great ability, original ideas, and marked force of character. He 
was the author of the Declaration of Independence, as he was of our decimal 
system of coinage. He adopted the practice of sending his message to con¬ 
gress, a practice which has been maintained ever since. In person, Jefferson 
was six feet, two inches in height, erect but thin, with fair complexion, red¬ 
dish hair, light blue eyes, large nose, broad forehead, and a countenance of 
great intellectuality. He was among the most learned of our Presidents, 
speaking several languages fluently, was a fine musician, and assumed office 
with the full confidence of the whole country. 


Q 


CHAPTER XXII 


Jefferson’s administrations. — 1801-1809 

HE Principles of the Original Republicans, or 
Democrats. — The vital principle of the 
original Republicans, or Democrats, as they 
were afterward known, was the diffusion of 
power among the people. In them, it was 
maintained, resided the original and inher¬ 
ent sovereignty. For clearly specified pur¬ 
poses this power had been delegated in two 
directions — to the general government, as 
a bond of union between all the States, and to the counties, 
towns, cities, villages, and corporations within their limits for 
special objects. The legislation of the central government 
was to be of a general character, while the local authorities 
attended to all home legislation. 

Important Legislation. — The Sedition Act was speedily re¬ 
pealed and all those undergoing its penalties were set free. The 
alien law was also modified by reducing the term of naturaliza¬ 
tion to five years. The military academy at West Point, which 
had been recommended by Washington, was established, and by 
the twelfth amendment to the Constitution it was made the duty 
of the electors to designate which persons were voted for as Presi¬ 
dent and Vice President. This amendment was passed in 1804, 
and rendered it inevitable that both officers should always belong 
to the same political party. 

Acquisition of New Territory. — The most important work of 
Jefferson’s administrations was the addition of an immense area 

226 




JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


227 


to our territory by the purchase, April 30, 1803, of Louisiana. 
The price paid was fifteen million dollars. Ohio, the first State 
carved from the Northwestern Territory, was admitted to the 
Union February 19, 1803. It was first settled at Marietta in 
1788. 

Lewis and Clarke’s Expedition. — This transaction added more 
than a million square miles to our territory. While the West 
was delighted, there was fear in the East that the attractions of 
the new country would drain the older portions. Upon the 
recommendation of the President, an exploring expedition was 
sent into the unknown region. Com¬ 
posed of thirty men, it left the Missis¬ 
sippi, May 14, 1804, under the command 
of Captains Meriwether Lewis and Wil¬ 
liam Clarke, the latter a younger brother 
of Major George Rogers Clarke. They 
embarked in a flotilla and ascended the 
Missouri for two thousand six hundred 
miles. To the three streams, forming 
that river, they gave the respective names 
of Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin. 

^ . . . . . . THOMAS JEFFERSON 

Pushing their way on horseback across 

the mountains, they discovered the rivers named for themselves 
and traced the Columbia to the Pacific. They were the first 
party of white men to cross the continent north of Mexico. 
They were gone more than two years, and brought back valuable 
information of the hitherto unknown half of our country. 

War with Tripoli. — For twenty years the United States, like 
other Christian nations, had regularly paid tribute to the Barbary 
States in northern Africa, on condition that their pirates would 
let our vessels alone when they ventured into that part of the 
world. It sometimes happened that our tribute was late in reach¬ 
ing the despots, who, thereupon, added a round sum as a penalty, 
which was handed, over without protest. Furthermore, the inso¬ 
lent rulers now and then liked to have the payment made in naval 



228 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


stores. In such cases, they insisted upon fixing the valuation 
themselves. We let them do it, even when they undervalued the 
property one-half. 

Captain William Bainbridge could hardly contain his disgust 
and anger when, in 1800, he carried, as our representative, the 
tribute to Algiers. Presenting himself before the dey, he was 
ordered to take it to the sultan of Constantinople, to haul down 

his flag and run up that 
of Algiers. The naval 
officer refused. “ You are 
my slaves,” said the des¬ 
pot; “ for if you were not, 
you would not pay me 
tribute. I command, and 
you must obey.” 

Fine language that to 
be addressed to an officer 
of the United States! But 
Bainbridge had to do as 
told, for he was at the 
mercy of the castle guns 
in the harbor, and the 
American consul urged 
him tp obey. “ I will do 
so, because there is no 
choice,” remarked Bain¬ 
bridge; “but I hope to deliver the next tribute from the mouths 
of my cannon.” 

The following year the dey of Tripoli became angry because 
he did not receive as much money as he wanted from the United 
States. So he declared war against us. Nothing could .have 
pleased our young navy better, for of course the war had to be 
waged for us by the navy, and the officers were yearning for a 
chance at the insolent barbarians. 

In August, 1801, Lieutenant Sterrett, of the Enterprise, with 



CAPTAIN BAINBRIDGE BEFORE THE DEY OF 
ALGIERS 




JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


229 


twelve guns attacked a Tripolitan vessel of fourteen guns off 
Malta. At the end of two hours the Tripolitans hauled down 
their flag. The Americans stopped firing and broke into cheers, 
in the midst of which the enemy discharged a broadside. The 
fighting began again, and the Tripolitans strove desperately to 
board the Enterprise, but were repulsed. By and by they hauled 
down their flag again, but a second time fired into the Americans. 

By this time, as we may well suppose, Lieutenant Sterrett was 
out of patience. He raked the enemy from stem to stern, shot 
away the mizzenmast, made a sieve of the hull, and killed and 
wounded fifty men. Through the smoke the captain was seen 
leaping about the deck, wildly flinging his arms and shrieking 
that he had surrendered. To prove that he was in earnest, he 
flung his colors into the sea. Lieutenant Sterrett ordered him to 
throw his ammunition and arms overboard, cut away the rest of 
the masts, and dismantle his ship. This was done. Then he 
was allowed to rig a jury mast and hoist a single sail. “Now go 
home,” said the American lieutenant, “and give my compliments 
to your dey.” 

To prove the insignificance of those pirates when compared 
with our own sailors, it may be said that in this spirited engage¬ 
ment, treacherously renewed twice, not a single man was killed on 
board the Enterprise. Had the pirates succeeded in boarding, 
they would have inflicted considerable loss of life, for they fought 
viciously at close quarters. In July, 1802, the Constellation , 
under Captain Murray, fought nine Tripolitan gunboats and drove 
five ashore, the rest saving themselves by running into the harbor. 

The Philadelphia , while chasing a blockade-runner, ran upon 
a reef in the harbor of Tripoli. She was attacked by a fleet of 
gunboats, and Captain Bainbridge, being helpless, was obliged to 
surrender with all his men. The barbarians floated off the Phila¬ 
delphia , when the tide rose, refitted her, and thus secured a most 
valuable prize. 

One night, however, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, in a small 
vessel, the Intrepid , sailed in and made fast to the Philadelphia. 


230 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


He pretended his vessel was a merchantman that had lost her 
anchors. The Tripolitans suspected nothing until the Americans 
swarmed over the gunwales and through the portholes. The 
enemy scattered, and setting fire to the Philadelphia , Decatur 
withdrew. The vessel was burned to the water’s edge. 

In November, 1804, Commodore Samuel Barron arrived with 
the President and Constellation and superseded Commodore 
Preble. The American squadron now numbered ten vessels, 
carrying two hundred and sixty-four guns. 

In April, 1805, Derne, one of the seaports of Tripoli, was 
bombarded and the town stormed and captured. For the first 
time in history the Stars and Stripes were hoisted over a fortifi¬ 
cation on the eastern side of the Atlantic. The enemy were de¬ 
feated again the following month, and the Americans began their 
march toward Tripoli. By this time the bashaw was terrified. He 
gladly signed a treaty of peace on the 3d of June. He received 
sixty thousand dollars for the captives in his hands, but the paying 
of tribute ceased and a full exchange of prisoners was effected. 

Re-election of Jefferson. — In the presidential campaign of 
1804, Jefferson was re-elected on the Republican ticket, while 
George Clinton of New York took the place of Burr. The nomi¬ 
nees of the Federal party were Charles Cotesworth Pinckney of 
South Carolina and Rufus King of New York, who carried but two 



The First Steamboat on the Hudson. — One of the most inter¬ 
esting events of Jefferson’s administration was the first steam- 





JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


23 


boat voyage on the Hudson. Fitch, in 1790, constructed an 
awkward affair which ran by steam on the Delaware, but it was 
soon given up, the results being unsatisfactory. The Clermont 
was launched at New York, and started up the Hudson August 1, 
1807. She was the invention of Robert Fulton, and was about 
one hundred feet in length and not quite twenty feet wide, with 
paddle wheels and a sheet-iron boiler that had been brought from 
England. It took her thirty-two hours to ascend one hundred 
and fifty miles against the current. 

Trouble with England. — England and France were engaged in 
another of their never-ending wars. England, by its “ Orders in 
Council,” declared all vessels engaged in conveying West India 
products from the United States to Europe legal prizes, and a 
number of ports under control of France were proclaimed in a 
state of blockade. Napoleon, in retaliation, issued the “Berlin 
Decree,” which forbade the introduction of English goods into 
any port of Europe, even by neutral powers. Then England 
declared the whole coast of Europe under blockade, and Napoleon 
followed with another decree, confiscating all vessels and cargoes 
violating the “Berlin Decree.” 

All this was interesting, but the Americans were the ones who 
suffered most. They protested in vain. Napoleon informed us 
that the. shortest and only way of relief was by helping him to 
bring England to reason, and England replied by telling us to 
join her in putting down the disturber of the world. 

On the 22d of June, 1807, the British ship Leopard fired into 
the American vessel Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia. The 
American frigate being unprepared for action, struck her colors. 
Three of her men were killed and eighteen wounded. The 
Leopard was looking for deserters and took four from the Chesa¬ 
peake, three of whom were negroes. The fourth, a white man, 
was taken to Nova Scotia and hanged. The negroes were desert¬ 
ers, though they claimed to have been impressed from American 
service. 

This outrage would have produced war, had not England dis- 


232 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


avowed the act and promised reparation, which, however, was 
never made. She would not yield the right of search, however, 
which was the cause of all the trouble. 

The Embargo Act. — On the 21st of December, congress, after 
a heated discussion, passed the famous Embargo Act, which for¬ 
bade all American vessels to leave the ports of the United States. 
The Federalists violently opposed the bill, which was very un¬ 
popular in the States engaged in commerce. It was hoped that 
by suspending commercial intercourse with Great Britain and 
France, they would be forced to recognize the rights of American 
neutrality. All the States were soon injuriously affected by it. 
The act was ridiculed by spelling the name backward, by which 
it became the O grab me Act. 

John Quincy Adams had favored the measure, for which he 
was condemned by the legislature of his State. Thereupon he 
resigned his seat in the senate and told Jefferson that, if the 
measure was persisted in, New England would withdraw from 
the Union. Jefferson recommended that congress should repeal 
the Embargo Act. This was done, so far as it related to all other 
nations, except Great Britain and France. 

Presidential Election of 1808. —Several legislatures asked Jef¬ 
ferson to become the presidential candidate for a third term, but 
he wisely decided to follow the precedent established by Wash¬ 
ington. James Madison of Virginia and George Clinton of New 
York were the nominees of the Democrats for the respective 
offices of President and Vice President, and Charles Cotesworth 
Pinckney of South Carolina and Rufus King of New York were 
the candidates of the Federal party. Madison was elected, Clin¬ 
ton continuing the Vice Presidency, which he had held since 1805. 

TOPICS.—The original Republicans, or Democrats; the alien and sedition 
laws; the military academy at West Point; the.twelfth amendment to the Con¬ 
stitution ; the purchase of Louisiana; the admission of Ohio; Lewis and Clarke’s 
expedition; the practice of paying tribute by Christian nations to the Barbary 
States; insolence of the despots; the experience of Captain William Bain- 
bridge; the act ofthedey of Tripoli; exploit of Lieutenant Sterrett; of Captain 


JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


233 


Murray; the disaster to the Philadelphia ; the daring act of Lieutenant Decatur; 
Commodore Samuel Barron; the bombardment of Derne; peace; re-election of 
Jefferson; the first steamboat on the Hudson; cause of the trouble with Eng¬ 
land ; the “ Orders in Council ” and the “ Berlin Decree ”; the Leopard and the 
Chesapeake; the Embargo Act; its repeal; the presidential election of 1808. 

Biographical Notes. — Stephen Decatur was the most distinguished 
member of the infant American navy. He was born in Maryland in 1779. 
His father was active during the Revolution, and his brother lost his life in 
the war with Tripoli. Stephen entered the naval service in 1798 and in 1803 
commanded the Argus and afterward the Enterprise. In 1812, in command 
of the United States, he captured the British frigate Macedonian, but was 
blockaded in New London by a British squadron and kept there idle for a 
long time. He was caught at such disadvantage, while commanding the 
almost worthless President, that he was compelled, in 1814, to surrender. 
He conquered the Barbary powers in 1815. His criticisms upon Commodore 
Barron, who, while in command of the Chesapeake, struck his colors to the 
Leopard, caused a duel between the two in 1820, in which Decatur was 
killed. 

Edward Preble, born in 1761, served on a privateer when only sixteen years 
old, and was engaged in several spirited battles. He was made a lieutenant 
in 1798, and a year later was given command of the Essex. We have learned 
of his services in the war with Tripoli. He died in 1807. 

William Bainbridge was another of our naval heroes who was appointed 
to service in the navy in 1798. He was born in 1774 and went to sea when fif¬ 
teen years old. After his capture by the Tripolitans, he was held in captivity 
for more than a year. His most famous exploit was in the war of 1812, when, 
as commander of the noted Constitution, he captured the Java. After the 
close of the war, he saw service in the Mediterranean ports and as naval com¬ 
missioner. He died in 1833. 

John Fitch, born in Connecticut in 1743, was by trade a watchmaker. He 
was engaged in making and repairing guns for the American soldiers at Tren¬ 
ton, when his property was confiscated by the enemy. He enlisted under 
Washington and spent the winter of 1780 at Valley Forge. He was made 
surveyor of Virginia and met with a number of remarkable experiences with 
the Indians. Fitch’s fame rests upon what he did in 1785. With a boat pro¬ 
pelled by steam, he made a number of trips between Philadelphia and Burling¬ 
ton, twenty miles above, and by some it is said he ascended to Trenton, at the 
head of navigation. Fitch always maintained that Fulton had access to his 
drawings and papers and got his ideas from him. In 1817, the courts declared 
that such was the fact and that the inventions of the two were substantially 
the same. He died in 1798. 


234 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Robert Fulton, who is conceded to have been the practical inventor of the 
steamboat, was born in Pennsylvania in 1765. He went to England, in 1786, 
to study portrait painting, but he was chiefly interested in inventions and engi¬ 
neering. He was in France from 1797 to 1804 and received encouragement 
from R. R. Livingston, who was minister to that country, and from Joel Bar- 
low. Fulton invented the torpedo, but could not persuade Bonaparte or the 
British ministry to adopt it. He returned to America in 1806, and his Cler¬ 
mont made its successful trip to Albany in the following year. Fulton de¬ 
signed also the steam ferry-boats and movable docks, substantially as they are 
to-day. He was engaged in constructing a war vessel for the government, 
when he overwrought himself and died in 1815. 

James Madison, fourth President of the United States, was born in King 
George county, Virginia, March 16, 1751. He was graduated from Princeton 
College and prepared for the bar, but the opening of the Revolution drew 
him aside from the practice of his profession. He was elected a member of 
the Virginia convention in 1776, and upon Jefferson’s return from France was 
offered that mission, but declined it. In 1780 he took his seat in the conti¬ 
nental congress. At first he was a Federalist, but became an ardent Demo¬ 
crat. He held the office of secretary of state throughout both of Jefferson’s 
terms. He was so esteemed in his own State that the law was changed so as 
to permit him to take a seat in congress for the fourth time. Madison was 
below medium height, grave of speech, with clear blue eyes and a quiet, stu- 
dent-like manner. His private character was stainless. He was fond of society 
and revived the levees held by Washington. The beauty and graces of “ Dolly 
Madison,” his wife, charmed visitors, and many delightful legends have come 
down to us concerning those days of long ago. He died June 28, 1836. 



A LONG TOM 






CHAPTER XXIII 

madison’s administrations.— 1809-1817 



Baltic e6 Waks'&rto 


[PPROACH of War with England. —The theory 
of our government is that a foreigner can 
become an American citizen through natural¬ 
ization. England maintained, on the other 
hand, “ Once an Englishman, always an 
Englishman.” She therefore insisted upon 
stopping our vessels on the high seas, search¬ 
ing for seamen of English birth, and forcing 
them into her service. Mistakes were in¬ 
evitable, and the so-called “right of search” was pressed to an 
exasperating point. British men-of-war were stationed outside 
our harbors, and they searched every ship coming and going. 
Nearly a thousand vessels were overhauled in the course of eight 
years, and the books of the State department at one time con¬ 
tained more than six thousand names of sailors that had been 
driven into the British navy. 

The “ Little Belt ” and the “ President.” —The British sloop 
Little Belt , while engaged in stopping merchant vessels near our 
coast, hailed, off the shores of Virginia, in May, 1811, the 
American frigate President . Not liking the answer of the Ameri¬ 
can, the Little Belt fired into her. The P?'esident instantly 
responded with a broadside, followed by others, which badly 
crippled the enemy, killing eleven and wounding twenty-one. 
Since each government approved the action of its officer, the 
anger between the countries became more intense than before. 

Trouble with the Indians. —The enmity toward Great Britain 
was deepened by the belief that her agents were engaged in stir- 

235 



236 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

ring the Indians on our Northwestern border to hostilities against 
the settlers. The outrages became so numerous through the 
Wabash valley that Governor William Henry Harrison ascended 
the river to Terre Haute, where he built a fort. He then 
advanced toward an Indian town at the 
mouth of the Tippecanoe. The Indians, 
after professing friendship, furiously at¬ 
tacked him on the early morning of No¬ 
vember 7, 1811, but were defeated with 
great slaughter. Harrison then marched 
to the principal town and laid it in ashes. 

Admission of Louisiana. — Louisiana, 
named in honor of Louis XIV, was admit¬ 
ted to the Union April 30, 1812. The first 
permanent settlement within its present 
boundaries was at New Orleans, in 1718. 
We have learned of its purchase from the French. The first Amer¬ 
ican flag was unfurled in New Orleans on December 20, 1803. 

Declaration of War against Great Britain. —Although there was 
much opposition to the step, the American congress, on the 19th 
of June, 1812, declared war against Great Britain. The legis¬ 
latures of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey protested 
against it, but New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore passed 
resolutions approving the action of the government. It was in 
Baltimore that “Light Horse Harry” Lee, while engaged in sup¬ 
pressing a mob, received injuries which resulted in his death 
four years later. New England especially opposed the war, and 
some of the shipping in Boston harbor hung their flags at half- 
mast upon receiving the news. 

Although we had no navy, and were ill prepared for a struggle 
with Great Britain, the country began immediate preparations, 
and Henry Dearborn of Massachusetts was appointed the first 
major general and commander-in-chief of the army. 

Hull’s Surrender.—The war opened disgracefully to the 
American arms. An invasion of Canada was made at three 



JAMES MADISON 



MAD/SON’S ADMINISTRATIONS 


23 7 



BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE 





238 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

points — Detroit, Niagara, and on the St. Lawrence. Dearborn 
commanded the eastern end, General Stephen Van Rensselaer 
the Centre, and General William Hull the troops of the West. 
All were to co-operate, with Montreal as the objective point. 

Hull, the governor 
of Michigan Territory, 
crossed from Detroit 
to Sandwich, with sev¬ 
eral hundred regulars 
and three regiments of 
volunteers. He frit¬ 
tered away his time, 
until the British ral¬ 
lied and captured 
Mackinaw, when he 
retreated to Detroit. 
On the 16th of August, 
Brock, the governor 
of Upper Canada, ad¬ 
vanced against the 
post. The defenders 
had a strong position, 
and the gunners stood 
with lighted matches, 
awaiting the order to 
fire. To the astonish¬ 
ment of the enemy 
and the consternation 
of the Americans, the 
British were within five hundred yards, when Hull ran up the 
white flag in token of surrender. 

After a brief parley, Hull gave up not only the post, but every 
soldier under his command in Canada, together with the whole of 
Michigan Territory, to the British. The American officers were 
so incensed that they broke their swords, tore off their epaulets 



SURRENDER OF DETROIT 






MADISON’S ADMINISTRA IVONS 


239 


and stamped them on the ground. Captain Brush, commanding 
at Raisin, refused to be bound by Hull’s agreement, and, when 
ordered to surrender, broke camp and withdrew toward the Ohio. 

Thirty prisoners were given in exchange for Hull, who was 
brought before a court-martial, charged with treason, cowardice, 
and conduct unbecoming an officer. He was convicted on the 
last two charges and sentenced to be shot. President Madison 
pitied the old man, and, because of his services in the Revolu¬ 
tion, pardoned him. The truth was that his age and misgivings 
robbed him of all the courage he once possessed. His daughter 
was in Detroit, and he dreaded unspeakably her falling into the 
hands of the Indians. Hull never regained the respect of his 
countrymen and died in 1825. 

Massacre at Fort Dearborn. — Captain Nathan Heald and fifty 
regulars occupied Fort Dearborn, standing on the present site of 
Chicago. Having received orders from General Hull to evacuate 
the fort and join him at Detroit, Captain Heald attempted to do 
so, though warned by friendly Indians and scouts that the attempt 
would be fatal. He set out with the regulars, a number of militia, 
and several families. They were assailed by Indians, more than 
half of the regulars killed, and all the militia, women, and chil¬ 
dren. This took place on the day before the surrender of 
Detroit. 

Battle of Queenstown Heights. —- General Van Rensselaer, with 
the army of the Centre, attempted his part of the invasion of 
Canada late in the summer of 1812. He crossed the Niagara at 
Lewiston, October 13, to attack the enemy on Queenstown 
Heights. The landing was fiercely contested, but the Americans 
captured the fortress. General Brock, reinforced by six hundred 
men, attacked the Americans, but was repulsed and Brock mor¬ 
tally wounded. The three officers who succeeded him were either 
killed or badly injured. 

The Americans began to intrench and sent for the twelve hun¬ 
dred militia on the other side of the river, but they were so 
scared that they refused to go to their help. Lieutenant Colonel 


240 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Winfield Scott had crossed and taken command of the brigade. 
While intrenching, he was attacked by a strong force of British 
and Indians. He repelled them twice with the bayonet, but the 
enemy being again reinforced, he was driven back to the river. 
No boats were there, however, to take his men across, and he 
was obliged to surrender. The loss in killed and wounded of 
the Americans was one thousand. 

During the progress of this disaster, the twelve hundred New 
York militia looked on without firing a shot to help their imper¬ 
illed friends. General Van Rensselaer was so disgusted with 
their cowardice that he resigned his command, and was suc¬ 
ceeded by General Alexander Smyth of Virginia. This man was 
almost a fool. He issued a bombastic proclamation which made 
him the laughing stock of the army; attempted several times to 
enter Canada, but failed; was mobbed by the militia, posted as 
a coward, and finally deprived of his command. 

Failure of the Americans. — The army of the Centre and the 
army of the West having made their record, it now remained 
for the commander-in-chief, with the army of the East, to 
show what he could do. In the latter part of November he 
crossed into Canada, but everything went wrong. His men 
fired into each other, ran away, leaving their dead and wounded 
behind, while many of the officers were grossly incompetent. 
Having added nothing but discredit to the American arms, they 
went into winter quarters. 

The War on the Ocean. — It is a relief to turn from the land to 
the ocean, where our little navy covered itself with glory. Three 
days after the surrender of Detroit, the Constitution , a forty-four- 
gun ship, under command of Captain Isaac Hull, nephew of 
General Hull, engaged the Guerriere (gare-e-are), a thirty-eight- 
gun ship, under Captain Dacres, off the coast of Massachusetts. 
In the furious engagement which followed, the Guerriere lost 
seventy-nine killed and wounded, while the Constitution lost 
only seven killed and seven wounded. The British ship be¬ 
came an unmanageable wreck before her captain surrendered, 





THE CONSTITUTION AND THE GUERRIERE 








242 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

and was blown up by Captain Hull, who sailed to Boston with 
his prisoners. 

This victory spread rejoicing through the country. Congress 
gave Hull a gold medal and divided fifty thousand dollars among 
his crew. Twelve days after his victory, Commodore Stephen 
Decatur, while cruising with his frigate United States, of forty- 
four guns, captured the Macedonian , of forty-nine guns. The 
engagement lasted two hours, Decatur losing only twelve men, 
while that of the enemy was more than a hundred. Decatur 
reached New York on New Year’s day, 1813. He was received 
as enthusiastically as Hull. 

Our navy had more officers than ships. Captain Hull, in order 
to give his comrades a chance to share in his glory, chivalrously 
turned over the command of the Constitution to Commodore 
Bainbridge. In the latter part of December, off the coast of 
Brazil, Bainbridge fell in with the British frigate Java , of thirty- 
eight guns. The battle lasted nearly three hours, during which 
every mast was torn from the British ship and her hull burst with 
round shot. When her flag was struck, she had lost one hundred 
and twenty men and her captain was mortally wounded. The 
loss of the Constitution was thirty-four. 

In the month of October, Captain Jacob Jones, with the sloop- 
of-war Wasp, fell in with the brig Frolic. In the fight which 
followed, the vessels lay almost against each other, the spars of 
the Wasp being shot away and the hull of the Frolic riddled. 
Then they grappled, and the Americans swarmed over the deck 
of the Frolic. All that they found above was the man at the 
wheel and two officers, the rest having fled below. The Wasp 
lost ten men, while on the Fi'olic there were hardly twenty that 
had been unhurt. By and by the Poictiers, a British seventy-four- 
gun ship, bore down and captured the Americans. 

Re-election of Madison.—The presidential election occurred 
in the autumn of 1812. Vice President George Clinton died 
April 12, and was succeeded by William H. Crawford, the pre¬ 
siding officer of the senate pro tem. The Democratic party 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


243 



THE WASP AND THE FROLIC 









244 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


placed Madison again in nomination, with Elbridge Gerry 
the candidate for Vice President. The Federalists nominated 
De Witt Clinton and Jared Ingersoll for President and Vice 
President, respectively. The Democratic ticket was elected by 
a large majority. 

Events of 1813 

Military Operations.—'The army improved little upon its dis¬ 
creditable record of the preceding year. It was organized in 
three divisions: the army of the North, commanded by General 
Wade Hampton, in the neighborhood of Lake Champlain; that 
of the West, under General Winchester, soon succeeded by Gen¬ 
eral Harrison; and that of the Centre, under the commander-in¬ 
chief, General Henry Dearborn, who was to resume offensive 
movements on the Niagara frontier and Lake Ontario. The ulti¬ 
mate purpose was to invade Canada, where Proctor commanded, 
with Tecumseh at the head of the Indian allies. 

Capture of York, Canada. —’An expedition sailed from Sackett’s 
harbor, April 25, against York (now Toronto), Canada. Effect¬ 
ing a landing, the town was assaulted by General Zebulon M. 
Pike, the successor of General Dearborn, who had fallen ill. 
The enemy blew up their powder magazine and fled, leaving 
forty of their own killed. One hundred Americans were slain, 
General Pike being among the mortally wounded. 

Attack on Sackett’s Harbor.—Sackett’s harbor having been 
left defenceless, Sir George Prevost, governor of Canada, attacked 
it May 29. General Jacob Brown, in command, learned of his 
coming only a day before, but hastily collected the militia and 
made ready to receive them. His men were repulsed at first, but 
he rallied them and drove back the enemy to their boats. 

Failure of the Army of the North. — General Dearborn having 
resigned his command of the army of the Centre, General James 
Wilkinson became his successor. It was arranged that Hampton, 
with the army of the North, should advance from Plattsburg and 
unite with Winchester in an attack on Montreal. Wilkinson 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 245 

descended the St. Lawrence and drove back the enemy at Chrys- 
ler’s Field November n. Hampton failed to move forward, 
and the ill-managed expedition came to naught. 

After the surrender of Detroit by General Hull, General Har¬ 
rison set out to recover Michigan from the British. General 
Wilkinson marched toward Frenchtown, a village on the river 
Raisin, twenty-five miles south of Detroit. He reached the 
Maumee Rapids, January 10, at the head of eight hundred volun¬ 
teers, mostly Kentuckians. He sent a detachment to attack the 
Indians at Frenchtown, following them with reinforcements two 
days later. 

Defeat of the Americans. — Only eighteen miles distant, at 
Malden, was Colonel Proctor, with fifteen hundred British and 
Indians. He hurried this large force forward, and on the morn¬ 
ing of the 2 2d attacked and routed the Americans, taking General 
Wilkinson prisoner. Proctor frightened him into sending orders 
for Colonel Madison, his successor, to surrender, which orders 
were obeyed. 

Siege of Fort Meigs. — Upon learning of the disaster, General 
Harrison fell back from the Maumee Rapids, but advanced again 
with twelve hundred men and erected Fort Meigs, on the right 
bank of the river. There he was besieged for several days by 
Proctor and Tecumseh, who finally were compelled to give up 
and withdraw. 

Heroic Defence of Fort Stephenson. —Proctor’s next movement 
was against Fort Stephenson, on the Sandusky, where Fremont 
now stands. The garrison numbered only one hundred and 
twenty men, under the command of Major George Croghan, 
barely twenty-one years of age. Proctor ordered him to sur¬ 
render, threatening, in case of refusal, to turn the whole garrison 
over to the savages to tomahawk. Croghan replied that when he 
did surrender there would be none left to tomahawk. 

This brave youth had only one six-pounder mounted on the 
stockade. He loaded it to the muzzle with slugs and scraps of 
iron. Keeping it masked, he waited until the enemy had entered 


246 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


a long ditch on the north while charging, when he hurled death 
and destruction among them. They scattered in dismay, but 
soon rallied and tried it again, only to be driven back with as 
great slaughter as before. The Indians could not stand such 
treatment, and refused to join again in the attack, and the sharp 
fire of musketry caused Proctor to withdraw from the neighbor¬ 
hood. 

There was considerable fighting of a desultory character, but, 
as already stated, the record of the army as a whole was not much 
of an improvement on that of the preceding year. If an Ameri¬ 
can wishes to have his cheeks tingle, he must, as before, turn to 
the achievements of our gallant little navy. 

The War on the Ocean and Lake Erie. — Captain Lawrence, of 
the sloop-of-war Hornet , fought the English brig Peacock , off the 
coast of British Guiana, on the 24th of February. The fight 
lasted but a quarter of an hour, when the Peacock struck her 
colors, being in a sinking condition. She went down so quickly 
that thirteen of the English sailors and four of the Hornet's crew 
sank with her. Upon reaching New York, the officers and crew 
of the Hornet gave a letter of thanks to Captain Lawrence for 
his kindness. 

The “Chesapeake” and “Shannon.”—The brilliant exploit 
of Captain Lawrence secured him the command of the frigate 
Chesapeake , then refitting in the harbor of Boston. Captain 
Broke, commanding the Shannon, which was cruising off the 
coast, challenged Lawrence to come out and fight him. The 
Chesapeake was not yet ready for sea, and the crew were in a 
mutinous state because of their failure to receive the prize money 
due them, but Lawrence was reckless enough to accept the chal¬ 
lenge. The battle was fought on June 1, and in ten minutes the 
Chesapeake was unmanageable from the fire of her opponent. 
Captain Lawrence was mortally wounded, and his ship speedily 
became the prize of the Shannon. On the American ship, forty 
eight were killed and ninety-eight wounded, while the Shannon 
lost twenty-three killed and fifty-six wounded. In his delirium, 













248 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Lawrence often repeated the words, “ Don't give up the ship/" 
which became the motto of the American navy. 

Decatur blockaded. — On the same day of this disaster, Decatur, 
in command of the United States , Macedonian , and Hornet , was 
chased into New London by a superior British squadron. That 
was bad enough, but, what was intolerably worse for Decatur, he 
was held there during the rest of the war. He repeatedly tried 
to steal out in the darkness, but he declared that in every in¬ 
stance traitors on shore notified the blockaders, and he had to 
slip back again. Decatur complained bitterly of this, asserting 
that the warning was given by means of blue lights burned in¬ 
land. During those days of high partisan feeling, this charge 
led to the name of “ Blue Lights ” being applied to the Federal 
party. 

Other Naval Exploits. —Lieutenant Arthur Sinclair, command¬ 
ing the schooner Ade/ine, sunk the British vessel Lottery off Lynn 
Haven Bay, early in the spring. Captain Allan of the Argus 
caused so much destruction among the enemy’s shipping in the 
British channel, that a number of vessels were sent after him, 
and he was captured by the English brig Pelican. Captain Allan 
was killed during the engagement. Soon after, the brig Enter¬ 
prise took the British Boxer off the coast of Maine. Both com¬ 
manders were slain in the fight and buried side by side in 
Portland. 

Captain David Porter, in command of the Essex, sailed from 
the Delaware, October 28, and doubling Cape Horn captured 
twelve ships and several hundred sailors, many of whom enlisted 
under him. He armed several of the vessels as tenders, making 
a small fleet, with which he protected our whaling interests in 
the Pacific. In defiance of the laws of nations, the Essex was 
attacked, March 28, 1814, in the neutral harbor of Valparaiso, 
by the British frigate Phoebe and the sloop-of-war Cherub. After 
a desperate engagement, the Essex surrendered. On this cruise 
David G. Farragut, afterward rear admiral, sailed as a midship¬ 
man, though but twelve years old. 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


249 


Perry’s Great Victory. —This year, however, witnessed one of 
the grandest triumphs ever won by the American navy. Oliver 
Hazard Perry, only twenty-eight years of age, who had never 
commanded in battle, was assigned to the command of the 
American fleet on Lake Erie. A part of this fleet at that time 
was in the shape of trees in the woods; but by vigorous work 
Perry fitted out nine vessels, carrying fifty-four guns, with which 
in August he set out to search for Commodore Barclay, with his 
six vessels and sixty-three guns. The two squadrons met, on the 
10th of September, at the western end of Lake Erie. 

Just before the battle opened, Perry ran to the masthead of his 
flagship a banner on which were inscribed the words of Lawrence: 
“ Don'tgive up the ship! ” Singling out Perry’s vessel, the Law¬ 
rence , Commodore Barclay, with his flagship the Detroit\ attacked 
and fought it so furiously that in two hours it was in a sinking 
condition. Perry left her in a small boat, and standing erect, 
passed directly in front of the Detroit's guns, boarded the Niagara , 
and ran up his flag again. Then, while the British fleet was form¬ 
ing a new line of action, the Niagara was driven right through 
them, and delivered broadside after broadside with tremendous 
effect. The other American vessels crowded after the Niagara 
and swept the enemy’s decks with so terrific a raking fire that at 
four o’clock in the afternoon every one of the enemy had sur¬ 
rendered. 

In this memorable engagement, the Americans lost twenty- 
seven killed and ninety-six wounded, while the loss of the British 
was two hundred killed and wounded and six hundred prisoners. 
Commodore Barclay had but one arm when he entered the battle, 
and at the close had lost the other. Returning to the battle- 
stained deck of the Lawrence , Perry rested an old letter on his 
navy cap and wrote the following despatch to General Harrison: 
“ We have met the enemy and they are ours: two ships, two 
brigs, one schooner, and one sloop.” 

This was the first time in the naval history of Great Britain 
that she had surrendered an entire squadron to the enemy. She 


250 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


was humiliated by the disaster, while the name of Perry became 
immortal. The great victory thrilled the country. It was cele¬ 
brated by illuminations, speeches, rejoicings, and in song, and 
so long as any member of the American squadron lived, he was 
looked upon as a hero by his admiring countrymen. 

Results of the Victory. — Perry’s victory was decisive and far 
reaching. Vast interests depended upon the result of the naval 
battle, and Proctor and Harrison were eagerly awaiting the result. 
In the event of Perry’s defeat, Proctor intended to invade Ohio; 
if the issue was the other way, Harrison meant to enter Canada, 
with bright prospects of success. Accordingly, early in the fol¬ 
lowing month, with a strong force of Kentuckians, he started in 
pursuit of Proctor, who retreated rapidly along Lake St. Clair, 
in the effort to join the British at the head of Lake Ontario. 
Tecumseh denounced the officer for running away, and brought 
him to a stand at last by threatening to leave him with all his 
Indian allies. 

The Battle of the Thames. — Proctor and Tecumseh selected a 
good battle-ground on the Thames, near the Moravian towns. 
There, on the 5th of October, the enemy was attacked by General 
Harrison and General Shelby, governor of Kentucky. Proctor 
quickly concluded that the place was too hot for him, and leap¬ 
ing into a carriage, put his horse on a run and escaped. Too 
proud to fly, and with a presentiment that he would never survive 
the battle, Tecumseh inspired his Indians by his heroic example, 
until he fell dead under many wounds and his warriors fled. 
The victory was complete. The Indian confederacy was de¬ 
stroyed, Ohio was freed from the danger of invasion, and all 
that Hull had surrendered was recovered. 

Indian Troubles in the Southwest. — The inhabitants of Georgia 
and Alabama were imperilled by the Indians, who had risen in 
response to the appeals of Tecumseh. Many of them took refuge 
in a stockade known as Fort Mimms, on Lake Tensas, forty miles 
from Mobile. Governor Claiborne sent one hundred and seventy- 
five volunteers to its defence. They were warned against sur- 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


251 


prise, but no heed was paid. On the 30th of August a thousand 
Creeks attacked the stockades, where no sentinels were on duty, 
and the guns were stacked, with the outer gate open. The de¬ 
fenders fought desperately, but in vain. All the garrison and 
every woman and child except twelve, were massacred, the total 
being nearly three hundred. 



DEATH OF TECUMSEH 


Events of 1814 

Defeat of the Indians in the Southwest. — The Creeks were 
compelled to pay dear for this outrage. The militia of the 
Southwest rallied in large numbers, under General Andrew Jack- 
son, who marched against them. He went at the work with fear- 











252 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ful earnestness. He hunted down the red men like rabid dogs, 
he and his allies driving them from point to point and continu¬ 
ally defeating them. They made their last stand in a fortified 
camp at the Great Horseshoe Bend of the Tallapoosa River, in 
the present State of Alabama. There a thousand warriors, with 
their squaws and children, awaited the attack, which was made 
March 27, 1814. The Indians fought with unusual bravery, but 
it availed them naught. At night six hundred were dead and 
three hundred had fled. They were crushed. 

Military Operations. —The peace of Paris released the British 
forces that had been fighting Napoleon so long, and gave England 
the chance to launch them against us. Fourteen thousand veterans 
who had fought at Waterloo were sent to Canada. The fort at 
Oswego was captured by the British on the 6th of May, disman¬ 
tled, and the barracks burned. 

On the 3d of July, three thousand men, under the command of 
Generals Scott, Ripley, and Brown, crossed Niagara River and 
captured Fort Erie, opposite Buffalo. Two days later the British 
were defeated at Chippewa. The loss of the English was nearly 
double that of the Americans. 

The Battle of Lundy’s Lane.—The severe battle of Lundy’s 
Lane was fought on the 25th. Scott was the hero of this affair. 
He maintained the fight bravely and skilfully against the superior 
force of the enemy until midnight, the Americans retaining pos¬ 
session of the field. They withdrew the next day. Scott was so 
severely wounded that he was unable to take any further part in 
the war. Brown was slightly hurt. He displayed such excellent 
generalship that at the close of hostilities he was made com- 
mander-in-chief of the United States army and held the honor 
until 1828. Congress gave him a gold medal, and Brownsville 
in New York was named for him. 

Upon the wounding of Scott and Brown, Ripley retreated to 
Fort Erie, and General Gaines took command. A British attack, 
August 15, was repulsed. A sortie by the garrison, September 
17, raised the siege, and the British withdrew behind their in- 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 253 

trenchments at Chippewa. The Americans destroyed Fort Erie 
and then went into winter quarters at Buffalo. 

General Brown, in his need of reinforcements, was obliged to 
drain Plattsburg of all but fifteen hundred troops. Sir George 
Prevost, with fourteen thousand veterans, four armed vessels, and 
thirteen gunboats, marched against General Macomb and Com¬ 
modore Macdonough, commanding the land and naval forces of 
Plattsburg. The Americans withdrew across the Saranac, and 
Sunday morning, September n, were attacked by land and water. 

Land and Naval Victory. — Commodore Downie of the British 
fleet had ninety-five guns and more than a thousand men, while 
Macdonough had only eighty-six guns and eight hundred and 
twenty men. The Americans gained a decisive victory. The 
naval battle, which lasted a little more than two hours, ended 
with not a mast uninjured in either squadron. Commodore 
Downie was killed, his ship surrendered, and nearly all the rest 
were captured or sunk. Prevost’s land attack was also repelled. 
He withdrew in the night, leaving the sick and wounded in the 
hands of the Americans. 

Capture of Washington. — The most humiliating event of the 
war was the capture of the city of Washington by the British. 
For this disgrace our government was blamable. It knew the 
danger in ample time to prepare, but did not do so. Admiral 
Cockburn (co-burn) sailed up the Chesapeake, in August, with 
five thousand soldiers, who landed forty miles from Washington 
and marched toward the city under General Ross. General 
Winder tried to stop him at Bladensburg, but the militia under 
him fled. Commodore Barney, with a few sailors and several 
pieces of artillery, fought with superb valor in defending the 
bridge which led to Bladensburg. Not until six hundred of 
his marines had been killed and wounded, himself disabled, 
and the fight had continued an hour, did Barney surrender. 
Ross was so filled with admiration of the officer that he paroled 
him on the spot. 

General Ross entered Washington with eight hundred men on 


254 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


the evening of August 24. He offered to spare the city for a 
large ransom, but there was no one present with authority to 
make the bargain. So it was fired. In the conflagration that 
followed, the President’s house, the offices of the several depart¬ 
ments, the libraries and public archives, numerous private dwell¬ 
ings, the navy yard and its contents, a frigate on the stocks, and 
several smaller vessels were destroyed. The only public property 
spared was the jail and patent office. Nothing could restore the 
losses suffered, for which there was no palliation on the part of 
the British, whose vandalism was condemned by many of their 
own countrymen. 

Defeat of the Enemy. — Flushed with his success, Ross declared 
his intention of making Baltimore his headquarters. On the 
12th of September, he landed with eight thousand troops at 
North Point, fourteen miles from the city. While advancing, 
he was shot dead by an American sharp-shooter. The British fleet 
ascended the Patapsco and bombarded Forts McHenry and Cov¬ 
ington, and on the night of the 13th attempted to storm the works, 
but were repulsed. 

Among the spectators of the bombardment was Francis S. Key, 
who had gone on board one of the ships to arrange an exchange 
of prisoners. Anxiously peering in the direction of the fort, at 
the earliest streaking of day, he was thrilled by the sight of the 
Stars and Stripes floating above the battlements. The sight inspired 
him to write our national song, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 

Treaty of Peace signed. — A treaty of peace was signed at 
Ghent, December 24, 1814. It left matters precisely as before. 
Not a word referred to the impressment of seamen, which was 
the cause of the quarrel; but the tacit understanding was that it 
would never be revived, and it never has been. There were no 
ocean telegraphs or swift steamers in those days to bring the 
tidings to America, and in the meantime occurred the most 
brilliant land victory of the whole war. 

Military Movements in the Southwest. — General Jackson was 
engaged in Florida in chastising the Indians and the British, 


MADISON’S ADMINISTRATIONS 


255 


when news reached him that the British intended to attack New 
Orleans, and he was begged to go to its help. He lost no time 
in doing so and hurriedly prepared to defend the city. Several 
brisk skirmishes took place, when Jackson withdrew behind his 
intrenchments. These at first were composed of cotton bales, 
but they were so readily fired by the hot shot that they were 
removed. His defences consisted mainly of a wall of earth five 
feet High and a ditch of water. 

The Victory at New Orleans. — On the 8th of January, General 
Pakenham, at the head of twelve thousand veterans, advanced 
against General Jackson. Three thousand Kentucky and Ten¬ 
nessee riflemen, the finest marksmen in the world, coolly awaited 
behind their intrenchments the approach of this magnificent body 
of men. At close range, the Americans opened with a fire so 
deadly that the lines were thrown into confusion and the ground 
strewn with dead and dying. General Pakenham, while trying 
to rally lys troops, was killed. A few minutes later, the second 
in command was mortally wounded, and then the third officer 
was disabled by one of the unerring riflemen. It was impossible 
to hold even such veterans to their work under so murderous a 
fire. They retreated to their encampment, and ten days later 
withdrew to their ships. In this memorable battle, still cele¬ 
brated through the country, only seven Americans were killed 
and six wounded, while that of the British in killed, wounded, 
and captured was twenty-six hundred, of whom nearly one-third 
were killed. Shortly afterward news reached this country of the 
signing of the treaty of peace. 

The War on the Ocean. —The war, which at first was most vig¬ 
orously contested upon the ocean, became more decisive as 
it progressed between the land forces. Still the little navy 
was not idle. On the 16th of January, 1815, the American 
frigate President was captured by the British ship Endymion 
(en-deehne-on). On the 20th of February, Captain (afterward 
Admiral) Charles Stewart, while cruising off Cape St. Vincent in 
the Constitution , which had long before won the reputation of a 


256 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


“lucky ship,” fought the Cyane (sl'ane), of thirty-six guns, and 
the Levant (le-vant'), of eighteen. Stewart’s fine seamanship 
enabled him to outmanoeuvre the enemy’s vessels, and in the 
brief engagement, which was fought by moonlight, he captured 
both. In the following month, the Hornet took the British brig 
Penguin off the coast of Brazil. This ended all fighting (let us 
hope forever) between Great Britain and the United States. 

War with Algiers. —The Barbary States thought it a good time 
to renew their piratical attacks upon our commerce. Decatur, 
being now released from his enforced idleness by the blockade 
at New London, was sent with a fleet to the Mediterranean to 
bring the dey to his senses. He captured the most important 
vessel of the Algerine navy, stopped at Algiers, Tunis, and 
Tripoli, compelled the release of all the prisoners, enforced pay¬ 
ment for the damages we had received and the relinquishment 
of the claims to tribute. Since then we have had no trouble with 
the Barbary States. 

Cost of the War. —The war of 1812 was a fearfully dear one 
for us. We lost more than eighteen thousand sailors, sixteen 
hundred and eighty-three vessels, and piled up a debt of a hun¬ 
dred million dollars. Trade and commerce were ruined, there 
was no specie, the banks had lost their credit, the factories of 
New England were idle, and the shipping was rotting at the 
wharves. Within twenty-four hours of the arrival of news of 
peace, these shipyards rang with the sounds of saw and hammer. 

Presidential Election of 1816. — The war left little of the Federal 
party. Its presidential candidate, Rufus King, carried only the 
vote of New Hampshire in the election of 1816. James Monroe, 
the candidate of the Democrats, was elected President and Daniel 
Tompkins of New York Vice President. 

On December 11, 1816, Indiana was admitted into the Union. 
Its name means “land of the Indians.” Some French Canadians, 
descending the Wabash in 1702, established several posts, Vin¬ 
cennes being among them. It was ceded to England in 1763, 
little being known of its history previous to that date. 



THE CYANE AND THE LEVANT 















25 8 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


TOPICS. —The theory of our government as to naturalization ; the English 
theory; the extent to which Great Britain pressed its so-called “ right of 
search”; the affair between the Little Belt and the President; the trouble 
with the Indians; the battle of Tippecanoe; admission of Louisiana; declara¬ 
tion of w-ar against Great Britain; how the war was regarded in different 
quarters; the commander-in-chief; General Hull’s surrender ; his court-mar¬ 
tial ; the massacre at Fort Dearborn; the battle of Queenstown Heights; 
discreditable conduct of the American militia; general failure of the land opera¬ 
tions; the Constitution and the Guerriere; the United States and the Mace¬ 
donian; the capture of the Java ; the Wasp and the Frolic. 

Re-election of Madison; the plan of the campaign for 1813; the capture 
of York, Canada; the attack on Sackett’s harbor; failure of the army of the 
North; defeat and capture of General Wilkinson ; siege of Fort Meigs; gallant 
defence of Fort Stephenson ; desultory fighting ; the Hornet and the Peacock ; 
the battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon ; blockading of Decatur 
at New London; other naval exploits; Perry’s great victory on Lake Erie; 
important results of the victory ; the battle of the Thames; the massacre at 
Fort Minims; defeat of the Indians in the Southwest; how Great Britain 
strengthened her forces in this country ; the fight at Chippewa ; the battle of 
Lundy’s Lane ; the great land and naval victory near Plattsburg ; fierceness of 
the battle ; capture of the city of Washington ; vandalism by the enemy ; death 
of Ross and defeat of his forces ; how the song “ The Star-Spangled Banner ” 
came to be written ; signing of the treaty of peace ; its nature; General Jack¬ 
son’s great victory at New Orleans; the war on the ocean; capture of the 
Cyane and the Levant; the war with Algiers; cost of the war; the presi¬ 
dential election of 1816 ; admission of Indiana. 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. — Henry Dearborn, born in 1751, was a captain at 
Bunker Hill and fought bravely at Saratoga and Monmouth. He was in con¬ 
gress from 1793 to 1797, having been made a major general in 1795. He 
served as secretary of war through both of Jefferson’s terms and was minister 
to Portugal from 1822 to 1824. He died in 1829. 

Isaac Hull was born in Connecticut in 1773 and after serving in the mer¬ 
chant marine was commissioned as lieutenant in the navy in 1798. During 
the war with Tripoli, he commanded the Argus, and after the close of the war 
was made captain and given command of the Constitution, the most famous 
vessel of the old navy. He showed brilliant seamanship in 1812, when he 
escaped from a superior force of the enemy. His victory over the Guerriere 
was the most notable one of the war of 1812. He and Dacres, commander of 
the Guerriere , were old friends, who had made a wager of a new hat on the 
result of a battle, should they ever meet. As the defeated officer came up the 
side of the Constitution , Hull extended his hand and said: “Dacres, I’ll thank 


MADISON'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


259 


you for that hat.” Hull afterward served on the Pacific and Mediterranean 
squadrons and was a naval commissioner. He died in 1843. 

Wade Hampton, born in South Carolina in 1754, represented that State in 
congress from 1795 to 1797 and from 1803 to 1805. He was very wealthy, 
owning three thousand slaves. His services in the war of 1812 were not of a 
brilliant nature. His father, of the same name, was a major general in the 
Revolution, he was a major general, and his son, also of the same name, was a 
major general in the service of the Southern Confederacy. 

Zebulon M. Pike was born in 1779 and did much service as an explorer. 
In 1805, he traced the Mississippi to its source and afterwards was engaged in 
geographical explorations in Louisiana Territory. Pike’s Peak of the Rocky 
Mountains was discovered by him and named in his honor. He was made 
adjutant and inspector general in 1813, and met his death in the expedition 
against York, Upper Canada. 

Jacob Brown, born in 1775, was one of the best officers developed by the 
war of 1812. We have learned of his brilliant services, which caused him to 
be made a major general in 1813. His great ability led to his appointment as 
general-in-chief of the army in 1821 and he held the office until his death in 
1828. 

James Wilkinson, born in 1757, was active during the Revolution, filling 
the offices of adjutant general, brigadier general, and secretary of the board of 
war. He had command of the right wing, under Wayne, at the battle of the 
Fallen Timbers in 1794. He became general of the army in 1796 and was 
governor of Louisiana Territory 1805-1806. He was engaged with Aaron 
Burr in his treasonable intrigues and, in 1811, was court-martialled. Though 
acquitted, every one was convinced of his guilt. His qourse in the war of 
1812 was so discreditable that he was dismissed from the army in 1815. He 
died in 1825. 

Oliver Hazard Perry was born in Rhode Island in 1785, became a mid¬ 
shipman in the navy at the age of fourteen, and took part in the war with 
Tripoli. His great victory on Lake Erie made him famous. Although a com¬ 
modore at that time, yet when made a captain the change, in accordance with 
the rule prevailing, was a promotion. He helped in the defence of Baltimore, 
and while serving in the West Indies in 1819 was stricken with yellow fever 
and died. 

Tecumseh, born about 1765, among the Shawnees, was a triplet and became 
the greatest American Indian that ever lived. One of his brothers was known 
as The Prophet, and assisted in organizing the Western Indians into a confed¬ 
eracy against the settlers. Little is known of his third brother. Tecumseh 
was chivalrous and did not permit his warriors to torture their prisoners. Once 
he came upon a number of them thus engaged, with the British general, Proc- 


26 o 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


tor, looking on. Tecumseh hurled the Indians to one side, and, turning in¬ 
dignantly to the officer, demanded why he permitted the outrage. “ Your 
warriors cannot be restrained,” was the reply of Proctor. “You are not fit to 
command,” exclaimed Tecumseh; “go home and put on petticoats!” He 
drew a map of the country on the inside of a piece of bark, which the British 
engineers declared was as good as anything that they had ever done on paper. 
His knowledge of fighting and strategy equalled that of any of the English 
officers and well earned for him the appointment of brigadier general, which 
he received. Personally he was one of the bravest of men, while as a natural 
orator he was never surpassed; no one could resist his eloquence. The honor 
in which this extraordinary chief is held is shown by the number of places and 
persons who bear his name. The late general of the army (W. T. Sherman) 
was only one of many who was proud to bear the name of Tecumseh, leader 
of the Shawnees. 

James Monroe, fifth President, was born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, 
April 28, 1758, and educated at William and Mary College. He was a lieu¬ 
tenant at the battle of Trenton, when little more than eighteen years old. He 
distinguished himself also at Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. He 
studied law under Jefferson, and when but twenty-five years old was elected as 
a delegate to the continental congress. His course while minister plenipoten¬ 
tiary offended the administration and he was recalled in 1794. He was gov¬ 
ernor of Virginia from 1799 to 1802, and was sent by Jefferson to negotiate 
the purchase of Louisiana. He was re-elected governor in 1811 and in the 
same year was appointed secretary of state by Madison. There being no 
money in the treasury to provide for the defence of New Orleans, Monroe 
pledged his private means for that purpose. Monroe was a man of integrity, 
without brilliant genius. He was of tall stature, well formed, with blue eyes 
and light complexion. He possessed the confidence of the people, and be¬ 
came President at a most fortunate period for him, since the development of 
our country during his administrations far surpassed that during any preceding 
presidential period. 


CHAPTER XXIV 

monroe’s administrations. — 1817-1825 

MPROVEMENTS and Prosperity. —We have 
learned of the depression that prevailed 
through the whole country at the close of 
the war of 1812. With the administrations 
of Monroe, however, came a dawn and ful¬ 
ness of prosperity unequalled in our previous 
history. The cutting off of the importation 
of foreign goods led to the establishment of 
many manufactories and gave a vigorous impulse to business. 
But the competition of cheaper foreign goods prevented the 
full success of such enterprises until congress taxed the articles 
brought across the Atlantic. This, of course, increased their 
price and gave the home manufacturers a means of securing prof¬ 
its. The value of native goods in 1810 was one hundred and 
seventy million dollars, and four years later it was two hundred 
million dollars. Henry Clay made a speech in congress during 
the former year in favor of protection, as it was called, during 
which he proudly called attention to the fact that his neat dress 
was the production of his own family. Considerable legislation 
followed, and still continues, in favor of or opposed to protec¬ 
tion, which question has always maintained an importance in 
our national politics. 

The administration of Monroe has sometimes been called the 
Golden Age of our history. Numerous colleges and institutions 
of learning had been established. Among them were : the Uni¬ 
versity of Georgia, 1801; Washington College of Pennsylvania, 

261 



262 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


1802; Ohio University, 1804; University of South Carolina, 
1806; Hamilton College, New York, 1812; University of Vir¬ 
ginia, 1819; Madison University, New York, and Colby Univer¬ 
sity, Maine, in 1820. Mrs. Emma Willard founded a school for 
the education of women in 1821, in Troy, New York, which was 
highly successful. Five students of Williams College, in a prayer 
meeting became impressed with the duty of sending the gospel 
to the heathen. As a result, the first foreign missionary society 
in this country was soon after organized. The American Bible 
Society had its birth in 1816. The first savings bank was formed 
the same year in Philadelphia, many 
others soon following. In 1815, Benja¬ 
min Lundy founded the Union Humane 
Society, an anti-slavery association, and 
later started a newspaper called The 
Genius of Universal Emancipation. This 
was the beginning of the abolition agita¬ 
tion, which continued until the great civil 
war. 

The first steamer to cross the Atlantic 
was the Savannah in 1819. She was of 
three hundred and fifty tons’ burden and de¬ 
pended largely on her sails, but the event marked an era in navi¬ 
gation. When the States had increased to fifteen, the stripes, as 
well as the stars, on our flag were increased to the same number. 
That form was used during the war of 1812 (none being added 
for Ohio and Louisiana), but on April 4, 1818, congress decided 
that instead'of a new stripe, an additional star should be added 
on the 4th of July following the admission of every new State. 
The first flag of that pattern was hoisted over the Hall of Repre¬ 
sentatives in Washington, on April 13th of that year. 

The First Seminole War.—Trouble arose with the mongrel 
population of Florida, consisting mainly of Seminole Indians, 
many of whom had intermarried with runaway slaves. They 
were vicious, and, having committed many atrocities, General 



JAMES MONROE 


* MONROE'S ADMINISTRATIONS 263 

Jackson was sent against them with twenty-five hundred men. 
He destroyed their villages and, entering Florida, then held by 
Spain, took possession of Pensacola. Robert C. Ambrister, for¬ 
merly an officer in the British army, and a Scotchman, Alexander 
Arbuthnot, an Indian trader, having been active in inciting the 
Indians to hostilities, were subjected to trial by court-martial. 
Ambrister was ordered to receive fifty lashes and a year’s impris¬ 
onment, and Arbuthnot to be hanged. General Jackson hanged 
them both. 

This high-handed proceeding caused intense resentment in 
England, and came very near bringing on another war. A com¬ 
mittee of congress was obliged to bring in a report, censuring 
General Jackson, for he had clearly violated the Constitution in 
more than one respect, but his course increased his popularity 
among his countrymen. After considerable debate over the 
report, congress passed a resolution acquitting Jackson of blame. 
In February, 1819, a treaty was concluded with Spain, by which 
Florida was ceded to the United States on the payment of five 
million dollars. The formal transfer, however, did not take place 
until 1821. 

Admission of New States. — Mississippi was admitted into the 
Union December 10, 1817. The name is a Natchez word, signi¬ 
fying “father of waters.” It was first settled by the French in 
1716, and in 1763 became a part of Georgia at the time of its 
cession to Great Britain, and was organized into a Territory in 
i79 s - 

With the admission of Illinois, December 3, 1818, it may be 
said the Union became of age, for the number of states was in¬ 
creased to twenty-one. The name “ Illinois ” is supposed to be 
derived from an Indian word signifying a superior race of men. 
It was first settled by the French at Kaskaskia, in 1682, and was 
one of the possessions ceded to Great Britain in 1763. For 
twenty years after the admission of Illinois the wolves howled on 
the present site of Chicago. Fort Dearborn was rebuilt in 1816, 
but for a long time was only a trading-post. 


264 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Alabama was admitted December 14, 1819. Its name is a 
Creek word, signifying “land of rest.” The first settlement 
was made, in 1702, by Frenchmen under Bienville, who built a 
fort on Mobile Bay. On its cession to the United States, Ala¬ 
bama was first incorporated with Georgia and afterward with the 
Mississippi Territory. 

Maine was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820. It re¬ 
ceived its name from a province in France, and was so called as 
a compliment to Henrietta, queen of Charles I, who was the 
owner of the province. The principal facts connected with the 
early history of the State have been given. 

Re-election of Monroe. — It was a strong evidence of the era of 
good feeling that in the fall of 1820 Monroe and Tompkins were 
re-elected by the vote of every State in the Union. There was 
not an electoral vote against Monroe, but Blumer of New Hamp¬ 
shire, with the consent of his associates, voted for Adams, in 
order, as he explained, that the honor of a unanimous election 
should be shared by no President with Washington. The Federal 
party no longer existed. Two measures added to the popularity 
of the administration. One was the passage of an act pension¬ 
ing all surviving soldiers of the Revolution, the provisions being 
afterward extended so as to benefit the widows and children. 
The other was a treaty with Great Britain, by which American 
citizens were given the right to share with English subjects in the 
fisheries of Newfoundland. 

The Missouri Compromise. — All was not pleasant, however, 
through the two terms of Monroe. In March, 1818, Missouri 
applied for admission to the Union. It was too late in the ses¬ 
sion to act upon the petition, but at the next session a bill was 
introduced, excluding slavery from the State whenever it should 
be admitted. A discussion followed of so bitter a nature that 
many foresaw the inevitable civil war which convulsed the nation 
less than half a century later, for only by the sword could the 
-terrible question be settled for all time. The end of the quar¬ 
rel was the adoption of the Missouri Compromise, which per- 


MONROE'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


265 


mitted slavery in Missouri, but forever excluded it from all 
parts north and west of parallel 36° 30', the main southern 
boundary of Missouri. 

Missouri was admitted August 10, 1821. The name means 
“muddy waters.” It was first settled and the rich lead mines 
worked in 1720, and it was a part of the Louisiana purchase from 
France in 1803. 

The Monroe Doctrine. — Many of the South American countries 
had long been held as provinces of European monarchies, but at 
about the date of the Missouri Compromise, they declared their 
independence and began fighting for it. We could not help 
sympathizing with them. In March, 1822, congress passed a 
bill recognizing the struggling republics as sovereign nations. 
The following year, the President in his message asserted that for 
the future the American continent was not to be considered ter¬ 
ritory for colonization by any European power. Thus North and 
South America were consecrated to free institutions by what has 
ever since been known as the “Monroe Doctrine.” 

Visit of Lafayette. — Lafayette, for whom the whole American 
people held the strongest veneration, because of his sacrifices 
and services during the Revolution, and because, too, of his inti¬ 
mate friendship with Washington, landed in New York in August, 
1824. From the moment he stepped ashore until he departed 
in the frigate Brandywine , named in his honor, he was the guest 
of the country. He was feted everywhere, and congress ex¬ 
pressed only the general feeling when it voted him a present of 
two hundred thousand dollars and a township of land. He paid 
an affecting visit to the tomb of Washington, during which he 
was overcome with emotion. He laid the corner stone of Bun¬ 
ker Hill monument on the fiftieth anniversary of the battle. 

A Financial Crisis. — The first financial crisis of the country 
came in 1819. The reorganization of the Bank for the United 
States two years before gave so many facilities for credit that 
much wild speculation took place. The branch bank in Balti¬ 
more was swindled by a number of rogues, among whom were the 


266 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


bank officers. They drew more than two million dollars from the 
bank beyond its securities. Prompt action upon the part of the 
President exposed the stealing, stopped the limitless credits, and 
the business of the country was soon restored to a sound basis, but 
the Bank of the United States itself barely escaped bankruptcy. 

The Presidential Election of 1824.—There were plenty of 
presidential candidates in 1824. They included: John Quincy 
Adams, son of John Adams, General Andrew Jackson, William 
H. Crawford, and Henry Clay. Jackson received the most votes, 
but none of the four had enough to elect him. This threw the 
election into the house of representatives, which declared John 
Quincy Adams President and John C. Calhoun Vice President. 

TOPICS. —The era of prosperity; the causes of such prosperity; protection; 
some of the institutions of learning that were founded; the American Bible 
Society; the Union Humane Society; the steamer Savannah; the changes 
made in the pattern of our flag; the law regarding the addition of new stars; 
the first Seminole war; arbitrary action of General Jackson; the acquisition 
of Florida; the admission of Mississippi; its early history; the admission of 
Illinois; its early history; the admission of Alabama; its early history; the 
admission of Maine; the re-election of Monroe; the two measures which 
added popularity to his administrations; the quarrel over the admission of 
Missouri; its early history; the Missouri Compromise; the Monroe Doctrine; 
visit of Lafayette; the financial crisis of 1819; its causes; the presidential 
election of 1824. 

Biographical Note. —John Quincy Adams, sixth President, was the 
son of the second President and was born in Braintree, Massachusetts, July 11, 
1767. He showed great talents from early boyhood and received the best of 
training from his parents. After studying some years abroad, he entered the 
junior class at Harvard and was graduated in 1788. After his admission to 
the bar, Washington made him minister to The Hague, and later to Portugal. 
When the father became President, he transferred his son to Berlin. He was 
elected United States senator by the Federalists in 1803, and in 1809 he was 
appointed minister to Russia. He was the leading commissioner at the treaty 
of Ghent, which ended the war of 1812, and was Monroe’s secretary of state 
throughout both his terms. He was the real author of the Monroe Doctrine. 
He served in congress as an independent member for the Quincy district in 
Massachusetts, from 1831 to 1848. He was stricken with apoplexy while in 
his seat and died February 23d, of that year. 


CHAPTER XXV 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS’S ADMINISTRATION.-1825-1829 



first tocomotivct 

itt America v 


GRAND Work.—The Erie Canal, one of 
the grandest of internal improvements, was 
completed during the administration of the 
younger Adams. It was eight years in 
building and cost ten million dollars. Gov¬ 
ernor Clinton turned up the first spadeful of 
earth at Rome, July 4, 1817, and it was 
formally opened on the 26th of October by 
impressive ceremonies. It greatly aided in 
the settlement and development of the Empire State and added 
millions to its wealth. 

The First Railroad in the United States. — The first railway in 
this country was laid, in 1826, in one of the granite quarries at 
Quincy, Massachusetts. It was only three miles in length and 
was operated by horse power. Later in the same year a similar 
road, nine miles long, was in operation from the coal mines of 
Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, to the Lehigh River. The first 
steam locomotive was put in service on the Delaware and Hud¬ 
son Railroad in August, 1829. The first locomotive to run regu¬ 
larly on a railroad in the United States made its trial trip in 
November, 1830, on the South Carolina Railroad, which con¬ 
nected Charleston and Hamburg, and was one hundred and 
thirty-six miles in length. Two months later the negro fireman, 
in order to save himself work, tied down the safety valve. An 
explosion followed, which killed the fireman and badly injured 
the engineer. This locomotive, like its successors, was a 

267 




268 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


primitive affair, but they rapidly improved, until the whole 
country is girdled by railway lines, and the improvements in 
rolling stock, speed, construction, and service have been almost 
beyond comprehension. 

The Tariff Question. — President Adams was met with bitter 
opposition in both houses from the first. The friends of Jackson 



FIRST LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION 


were largely in the majority and defeated almost every recom¬ 
mendation he made. The administration favored what had 
become known as the “American system,” regarding the tariff. 
This meant a protection of home industries by the imposition of 
a tax on foreign goods. Naturally it was acceptable to the North 
and East, which were largely engaged in manufactures. On the 
other hand, it was obnoxious to the South, which had few manu¬ 
factures, being employed in agricultural pursuits. The South 





JOHN QUINCY ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION 269 

found one of the tariff acts so oppressive that it was called the 
“Bill of Abominations.” Its enactment caused great resent¬ 
ment, especially in South Carolina. Public meetings were held 
all over the State, at which the law was denounced. Nullifica¬ 
tion was threatened, and, while the ma¬ 
jority hesitated to take the step, the senti¬ 
ment in favor of it was so strong that it 
needed only a leader to give it form and 
expression. That leader soon appeared 
in the person of John C. Calhoun, the 
Vice President. 

Presidential Election of 1828.—The 
presidential contest of 1828 was bitter. 

The friends of Jackson were active, many 
of them being office holders under Adams, 
who refused to remove them for that cause. 

By this time the former Republicans had come to be known as 
Democrats, the name which still attaches to them. Their op¬ 
ponents for the time were National Republicans. In the elec¬ 
toral college, Adams received eighty-three votes to one hundred 
and seventy-eight cast for Jackson. 

TOPICS. —Brief history of the, Erie Canal; the first railway in this country; 
the second; the first steam locomotive ; the tariff question ; why protection 
was favored in the North and East and opposed in the»South; the opposition 
of South Carolina; the presidential election of 1828. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Note. — Andrew Jackson, seventh President, will always 
be one of the most striking figures in American history. He was born of 
Scotch-Irish parents, at Waxhaw Settlement, on the border between North 
and South Carolina, March 15, 1767. Jackson always believed that his birth¬ 
place was in South Carolina, but later investigations prove that it was further 
north, in Union county, North Carolina. 

His parents were very poor and the son received scant education. His 
father died a few days before the birth of Andrew, who, when only thirteen 
years old, took part in the Revolutionary battle of Hanging Rock. His eldest 
brother was killed while fighting for his country, and the other brother died of 
a hurt, inflicted, it is said, by a British officer, because the lad refused to do 
menial duty for him. Andrew was also grievously injured by a brutal blow 



A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


270 

for the same cause, but he sturdily refused to act the part of servant. He 
caught the smallpox and was abandoned to die, but his mother secured his 
release, and through her nursing he recovered. When the Revolution ended, 
he had not a single living relative. Jackson took up the study of law, and 
when twenty-one years old removed to Nashville, Tennessee. The Indian 
outrages made a soldier of him. His achievements against the red men led 
them to name him “Pointed Arrow” and “Sharp Knife.” In 1796, he was 
a member of the house of representatives from Tennessee, and the next year 

was elected to the senate. 
He resigned at the end of 
a year, during which he 
never made a speech or cast 
a vote. He had been ap¬ 
pointed a judge of the 
supreme court and a major 
general of militia. The 
prominent part which he 
took in the war of 1812 
gave him the name of “ Old 
Hickory,” and made him 
the idol of the American 
people. Jackson was a 
man of iron resolution, 
dauntless courage, incor¬ 
ruptible honesty, and in¬ 
tense patriotism. He was 
loyal to his friends and 
hated his enemies. He 
feared no one man, and no 
thousand men. He fought 
several duels. With one 
arm in a sling, he rode in front of his mutinous soldiers during his campaign 
against the Creek Indians, and declared he would shoot the first man who 
refused to obey his orders. None dared to defy him. He lived on acorns and 
divided them with his soldiers but still pressed on and destroyed the Indian 
confederation. He was tall in person, erect and spare, with dark blue eyes, 
projecting eyebrows, and a fiery temper. With his aggressive roughness Jack- 
son was a devoted husband and a model of personal purity. After his stormy 
career, he retired to his home, the Hermitage, in Tennessee, and in his later 
days he became a devout Christian. He passed away June 8, 1845, having 
proved himself one of the greatest of Americans and of our Presidents. 



ANDREW JACKSON AS A BOY 



















CHAPTER XXVI 

jackson’s administrations. — 1829-1837 



JL 

JUwVArt , College- vtv'1836. 


[ACKSON’S Policy—“To the Victors belong 
the Spoils.”—As was expected, President 
Jackson made up a cabinet of his own 
friends. He believed that to achieve suc¬ 
cess an administration must be wholly com¬ 
posed of those of the same political faith. 
William L. Marcy of New York, a Demo¬ 
cratic senator, was the first man to proclaim 
the doctrine “to the victors belong the spoils,” and President 
Jackson was an enthusiastic champion of the same, as he speed¬ 
ily proved by his action. 

The total number of removals from office by all his predeces¬ 
sors was seventy-four, and out of that number five were defaulters. 
Within one year after inauguration, President Jackson removed 
two thousand office holders. There were no blows too hard for 
him to strike against his enemies, and no man would do more to 
help a friend, provided that friend showed himself worthy. The 
first taint of dishonesty, of disloyalty, or any attempt to defeat 
the purpose of the President changed him on the instant into an 
unrelenting enemy. 

President Jackson and the United States Bank. — It was not 
long before President* Jackson developed an intense hostility to 
the great moneyed corporation known as the United States Bank. 
He believed it to be an unhealthy stimulus to business, a pro¬ 
moter of speculation, extravagance, and corruption, and did not 
hesitate to declare his doubts of its solvency. He advised the 

271 


272 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


removal of the deposits of public money. Such removal required 
the order of the secretary of the treasury. He refused, and Jack- 
son removed him. Roger B. Taney, afterward chief justice of 
the United States, succeeded to the secretaryship of the treasury 
and made the removal. The new charter, granted in 1832, was 
vetoed by the President, and congress sustained his action. 
Jackson’s course increased his popularity, and, in the presiden¬ 
tial election of 1832, he received two hundred and nineteen 
electoral votes out of a total of two hundred and eighty-six. 

Whigs and Democrats. — During Jackson’s first term, the po¬ 
litical factions of the country crystallized into the Whig and 
Democratic parties, the leaders of the for¬ 
mer being Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. 

Nullification in South Carolina. — There 
was great opposition in South Carolina to 
the tariff measures of congress. An act 
was passed in the spring of 1832, imposing 
additional duties on imported goods. It 
set South Carolina aflame. The governor 
presided over a convention in that State in 
November, which declared the tariff acts 
unconstitutional, and therefore null and 
void; that the duty should not be paid, 
and that any attempt on the part of the government to collect it 
would be resisted by arms, and cause the secession of South 
Carolina from the Union and its erection into an independent 
government. The State legislature endorsed these resolutions, 
and the South Carolinians prepared for war. 

President Jackson was not scared. He declared that the 
Union should be maintained at all hazards, and threatened to 
hang Calhoun. Calhoun resigned and became a United States 
senator. Jackson believed in State sovereignty, but nothing 
could shake his devotion to the Union. He issued a proclama¬ 
tion on December 10th, in which he denied the right of any State 
to nullify an act of congress, and warned South Carolina that, if 



ANDREW JACKSON 



JACKSON'S ADMINISTRAT10NS 


273 


necessary, the military power would enforce the laws. At the 
same time he exhorted his countrymen not to take the mad step 
to which their leaders were urging them. 

His appeal produced no effect. The war preparations con¬ 
tinued. General Scott was summoned to Washington, and it was 
decided to throw a strong garrison into Fort Moultrie, Castle 
Pinckney, and the arsenal at Augusta, Georgia. The sloop-of- 
war Natchez and several revenue cutters were ordered to Charles¬ 
ton harbor. General Scott, with great tact and discretion, kept 
up the most friendly relations with the citizens. Meanwhile 
other States condemned the course of South Carolina. Among 
her people, too, sprang up a goodly number of supporters of the 
President’s proclamation. 

Henry Clay brought tranquillity by the preparation of a com¬ 
promise which Senator Calhoun supported. It provided for a 
gradual reduction of duties until June 30, 1842, when they were 
* to sink to a general level of twenty per cent. This gave the 
manufacturers time to prepare for the change, with the certainty 
of relief at no distant day for the non-manufacturing States. 

Trouble with France. — France owed our country five million 
dollars for injuries inflicted upon our commerce during Napo¬ 
leon’s wars. She put off payment until President Jackson lost 
his little stock of patience. He ordered our minister to with¬ 
draw from the French court, and recommended the congress of 
1834-1835 to authorize reprisals. France resented this vigorous 
action, but paid the money. Other similar bills against Spain, 
Denmark, Portugal, and Naples were also soon settled. 

The Second Seminole War. — War broke out with the Seminoles 
of Florida. A treaty had been made with them, by which they 
agreed to move to the west of the Mississippi, but the majority 
insisted that the chiefs who signed the treaty were not authorized 
to do so and refused to go. Osceola, of mixed breed, was the 
leader of the malcontents, and at a conference with the military 
officers he showed his anger by striking the treaty with such vio¬ 
lence that he drove his knife through the paper and the top of 


T 


274 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


the table on which it was resting. In 1835, a series of attacks 
was begun on the settlers. General Wiley Thompson was sent 
thither to enfore their removal. Osceola was so defiant that he 
was put in irons. He pretended submission and promised to 
sign the treaty. Upon being released he did so, but he deceived 
the officer. He was filled with fury, and his warriors spread 



OSCEOLA’S DEFIANCE 


death and desolation among the settlements. On December 28, 
1835, while General Thompson was dining with a lot of friends, 
Osceola and a party fired a volley through the windows, which 
killed Thompson and four of his officers. The Indians escaped 
unharmed, although within two hundred yards of Fort King. 

On the same day, Major Dade was ambushed with one hundred 
men near Wahoo Swamp, while marching to the relief of the fort. 
Every one of the command was killed excepting two, and they 






JA CKSON'S A DMINIS TR A TIONS 


275 


afterward died of their wounds. The war broke out and raged 
with greater fierceness for years. The vast swamps of the Flori- 
das offered secure hiding-places for the mongrel hostiles, who 
concealed their families with such astonishing skill that the most 
experienced hunters and scouts found it impossible to trace 
them. 

General Scott, in 1836, pushed operations vigorously, but 
without success. General Zachary Taylor succeeded to the com¬ 
mand in May, 1837, and tried to use bloodhounds in tracing the 
Indians; but the dogs had been trained to hunt negroes in Cuba 
and refused to follow the trail of a red man. On the 21st of 
October, Osceola was made prisoner, contrary to the laws of 
nations, under a flag of truce, sent to Charleston, and confined 
in Fort Moultrie, where he died in 1838. The war dragged 
along until 1842, when General William J. Worth succeeded in 
bringing it to a close. 

Admission of New States. —Arkansas (ark'an-saw) was admitted 
to the Union June 15, 1836. Several interpretations have been 
given to the word “Arkansas.” The best is that it signifies 
“smoky waters,” the French prefix “ark” meaning bow. It 
was settled by the French as early as 1685, and remained French 
territory until 1803, when Louisiana, of which it was a portion, 
was purchased by the United States. In 1812, it became a part 
of Missouri Territory, and in 1819 was erected into Arkansas 
Territory, then including what is now Indian Territory. 

Michigan was admitted January 26, 1837. The name is from 
an Indian word meaning “great lake.” The first settlement 
was made in 1668, at St. Mary’s Falls, in the upper peninsula. 
Detroit was founded in 1701. Michigan formed apart of the 
Northwestern Territory, and afterward of the Territory of Indi¬ 
ana, but was set off by itself in 1805. 

Great Prosperity and Many Changes. —A wonderful prosperity 
attended both terms of President Jackson. When we speak of 
the “old times” and the “new times,” we naturally think of the 
change as gradual, but it took place almost wholly during his ad- 


2j6 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ministrations. It was due mainly to the introduction of the loco¬ 
motive, which made travelling easy, so that the people mingled 
with one another, and thought and action were stirred into new 
life. When President Jackson was inaugurated, the old times 
prevailed; when he went out of office, the new or modern times 
had come. 

The railway system began after the election of Jackson. Before 
he retired, there were fifteen hundred miles in operation, and in 
a short time all the leading cities were connected by railroad. 
It opened up new sections, made the transfer of crops easy, and 
changed the whole life of the people. 

Anthracite coal was tested in 1836 and found to answer per¬ 
fectly on steamboats and railroads. In the same year the screw 
propeller took the place of the side-wheel ocean steamer. Al¬ 
though the first steamer crossed the Atlantic in 1819, ocean navi¬ 
gation was not successful until 1838. The revolving pistol was 
patented in 1835. Soon afterward, reaping machines came into 
use. It was about this time that the clumsy flint and steel gave 
way to the friction match. 

The Western States were fairly started on their amazing growth. 
Steamboats ploughed the Mississippi and its tributaries, as well 
as the Great Lakes, and new towns and cities sprang into life, 
where until then was only the untrodden wilderness. In 1833, 
the first steamboat appeared at Fort Dearborn, the present site 
of the imperial city of Chicago. 

The East was as prosperous as the West. In 1835, New York 
was desolated by a twenty million dollar fire, but quickly recov¬ 
ered, and in the same year the construction of the Croton Aque¬ 
duct was begun. The population of the country in 1830 was four 
times as great as in 1790, and the seventy-five post-offices had 
increased to 8450. The receipts of the government from the 
sales of Western lands rose from one million dollars to twenty- 
five million dollars annually. 

In 1835 the entire national debt was paid. The government 
found itself in the possession of a surplus which was divided 


JA CKSON'S ADMINISTRA TIONS 


2 ;; 



FLINT AND STEEL 

among the States. But they, too, were prosperous and borrowed 
and spent money lavishly, thereby encouraging immigration and 
settlement. Crops were abundant, manufactures increasing, and 
banks expanding. It looked indeed as if the financial millen¬ 
nium had come, when all were to be rich, prosperous, and happy. 

Presidential Election of 1836.—The presidential election was 
in the nature of an endorsement of Jackson’s policy. Martin 
Van Buren, his candidate, was chosen as his successor by a vote 
of. one hundred and seventy out of a total of two hundred and 
ninety-four. The Whigs, unable to combine, put forward four 
candidates, of whom William Henry Harrison received the 
largest number of votes — seventy-three. No candidate for the 
Vice Presidency having been given a majority in the electoral 
college, the senate elected Colonel Richard M. Johnson of Ken¬ 
tucky to that office. 







2 yS 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


TOPICS. —The meaning of the expression “To the victors belong the 
spoils”; what President Jackson did to prove his belief in the policy; why he 
opposed the United States Bank; his action with respect to it; his re-election; 
Whigs and Democrats; cause of the nullification movement in South Carolina; 
Jackson’s patriotic course; the war preparations at Charleston; the end of 
the trouble; the difficulty with France; cause of the second Seminole war; Os¬ 
ceola; his retaliation upon General Thompson; massacre of Major Dade and 
his command; the Seminoles in the swamps of Florida; the unlawful capture 
of Osceola; how the war was finally ended; the admission of Arkansas; its 
early history; the admission of Michigan; its early history; the wonderful 
prosperity during Jackson’s two terms; the “ old times ” and the “ new times ”; 
growth of the railway system; the introduction of anthracite coal; the screw 
propeller; ocean navigation; the revolving pistol; the reaping machine; 
frictipn matches; the growth of the Western States; the first steamboat at 
Fort Dearborn; prosperity in the East; the great New York fire of 1835; 
the Croton Aqueduct; increase of post-offices; the receipts from the sale of 
Western lands; the national debt; what was done with the surplus; the pros¬ 
perity of the States; the apparent financial millennium; the presidential elec¬ 
tion of 1836. 

Biographical Notes. — Roger B. Taney, bom in 1777, was graduated at 
Dickinson College, and made his home in Baltimore. In 1804, a man refused 
to give him a case because he did not believe, from Taney’s appearance, that 
he would live out the year. He died just sixty years later. He was an able 
lawyer and politician. He was a fervent Jackson Democrat, and in 1835 the 
President nominated him as chief justice of the supreme court, his confirma¬ 
tion following in 1836. He rendered many important decisions, the most noted 
of which was that relating to Dred Scott, of which we shall learn later on. 

John C. Calhoun, the intense South Carolinian, was born in 1782, near 
Abbeville in that State. He was a graduate of Yale College and became an 
unusually able lawyer. He was elected to congress in 1811, and strongly ad¬ 
vocated the war with Great Britain. He became secretary of war in 1817, 
and served through both terms of Monroe. In 1824, he was elected Vice 
President, serving with John Quincy Adams, and was chosen again, in 1828, 
with Jackson. He resigned, as we have learned, in 1832, and was immedi¬ 
ately elected to the United States senate, where he was the foremost cham¬ 
pion of state sovereignty or “ State rights,” as it is generally termed. In 
1844-1845 he was secretary of state under Tyler, and concluded a treaty of 
annexation with Texas. He re-entered the senate in 1845, an d was the 
acknowledged leader of the southern Democrats. He died in 1850. Calhoun 
ranks with Clay and Webster as among the greatest statesmen of the first half 
of the nineteenth century. 


JA CKSON } S ADMINIS TRA TIONS 


279 


Henry Clay was born in the “ slashes ” of Virginia in 1777. Having studied 
law, he removed to Kentucky when twenty years old. He served in the legis¬ 
lature of that State and in the United States senate from 1806 to 1807. He 
soon became the father and champion of the “ American system ” of internal 
improvements and tariff protection. His remarkable eloquence and ability 
brought him many political honors. He served in the United States senate 
again 1809-1811. He entered the house in 1811, and was chosen speaker 
until his resignation in 1814, upon his appointment as one of the envoys to 
negotiate the treaty of Ghent. He came back to the house in 1815 and was 
elected speaker continuously until 1821. Clay was an ardent advocate of the 
war of 1812, and brought about, in 1821, the recognition of the South Ameri¬ 
can republics in their struggles against foreign domination. He was again 
speaker of the house 1823-1825. In 1824, he was a candidate for the presi¬ 
dency, but Adams was finally chosen as President and he appointed Clay his 
secretary of state. In 1831, he re-entered the senate from Kentucky, and be¬ 
came the leader of the Whig party. He was nominated for the presidency in 
1831, but was beaten by Jackson. He retired from the senate in 1843, an d f° r 
the third time was nominated for the presidency in 1844, and for the third 
time defeated. He re-entered the senate in 1849 and brought about the great 
compromise of 1850. He was a brilliant orator, an able debater, an honest 
man, and a profound statesman. He died in 1852. 

Daniel Webster, the greatest of all American orators, was born in New 
Hampshire in 1782. He received his education at Phillips (Exeter) Academy 
and at Dartmouth, from which he was graduated in 1801. He taught school 
for a time and was'admitted to the bar in 1805, removing in 1807 to Ports¬ 
mouth. His brilliant ability soon made him a leader at the bar and he was 
elected to congress in 1813, serving until 1817. He then settled in Boston, 
where he speedily became the foremost lawyer of the Commonwealth. From 
1823 to 1827, he represented Massachusetts in Congress, where his fame 
increased as one of the very greatest of orators. At the laying of the corner¬ 
stone of Bunker Hill monument, in 1825, his oration was one of the most 
eloquent that ever fell from human lips. The enthralled crowd threatened 
to carry away the platform on which Webster and the other speakers were 
sitting. They asked him to appeal to the crowd to stand back. Webster 
paused in his speech to do so. Those immediately in his front made the effort 
to comply, but the pressure behind them was too great. “ It is impossible, Mr. 
Webster,” they called to him. “Impossible!” he thundered; “you are on 
Bunker Hill where nothing is impossible ! ” And the vast sw^arm reeled 
backward, like the surge of the ocean from the rocks on the seashore. In 1827, 
Webster entered the United States senate and became one of the giants of that 
body. In 1830, in his reply to Hayne, he won the title of the “ Expounder of 


28 o 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


the Constitution.” Like Clay, he was disappointed in his greatest ambition — 
that of becoming President of his country. He came quite near, but never re¬ 
ceived the nomination. He was secretary of state under Harrison and Tyler, 
resigning in 1843 an d re-entering the senate two years later. He rendered his 
election to the presidency impossible by his advocacy of Clay’s compromise 
of 1850. Once more he was secretary of state in 1850-1852, and died in 
the latter year. 

Martin Van Buren, eighth President, was born in Kinderhook, New York, 
December 5, 1782, being the first President not born a subject of Great Britain. 
He became eminent in his native State as a lawyer and adroit politician, so 
much so, in fact, that he was often referred to as the “ Little Magician.” He 
served as United States senator 1821-1828, and governor of New York 1828- 
1829, when he resigned to become secretary of state under Jackson, whom he 
thus served until 1831, when Jackson nominated him as United States minis¬ 
ter to England, but the senate refused to confirm the nomination. He was 
elected Vice President with Jackson in 1832, and as we have learned became 
his heir to the presidency. In 1848, he was the Free Soil candidate for the 
presidency, as a result of which General Taylor secured the election. He 
died July 24, 1862. 


CHAPTER XXVII 

van buren’s administration. — 1837-1841 

ONETARY Panics. — President Jackson sowed 
the wind, and President Van Buren reaped 
the whirlwind. While the former was en¬ 
gaged in his fight with the United States 
Bank, many new banks were formed in the 
different States. Most of them had little 
capital with which to redeem the notes they 
issued. They bought several bushels of 
cheaply printed bills and sent them broadcast. With this stuff 
public lands in Western States and Territories were bought at 
a higher price than others could afford to pay in gold or silver. 
The lands were sold for good money, and when the bills came 
back to the banks for redemption, the banks “failed,” and, 
moving to other sections, repeated their swindling operations, 
which were termed “wild-cat” banking. 

On the nth of July, 1836, President Jackson sent out his 
“specie circular,” which compelled the collectors of public 
revenues to receive only gold and silver in payment. This 
proved to be an almost mortal injury to business. Wild-cat 
bank-notes were now worthless in the West, and they poured into 
the banks for redemption. The banks toppled over like so many 
tenpins, and when the few honest bankers tried to raise money 
by selling their lands, nobody wished to buy. 

Foreseeing the storm that was about to break, congress, early 
in 1837, passed a repeal of the specie circular. Jackson could 
never admit that any man or body of men were right, so long as 

281 



282 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


their views differed with his. He held back the bill so long that 
it failed to become a law, and the greatest affliction of “hard 
times ” ever known burst upon the country soon after the inaugu¬ 
ration of Van Buren. 

During the months of March and April, 1837, the failures in 
New York and New Orleans amounted to one hundred and fifty 
million dollars. Within the first three weeks of April, two hun¬ 
dred and fifty houses in New York stopped payment. Eight of 
the States failed wholly or in part, and the time came when the 
United States government could not pay its debts. Business 
confidence seemed to have been destroyed, and industry was at 
a standstill. It was a long time before 
matters righted themselves, but the coun¬ 
try was really wealthy, and, assisted by 
legislation, trade revived, most of the 
banks resumed specie payments in 1838, 
and by and by commercial prosperity was 
restored. 

The Patriot War.—A rebellion broke 
out in Canada in 1837. We sympathized 
with what was called the “patriot war,” 
since the people were striving for the 
same thing that was our aim during the 
Revolution. This was well enough, but our citizens had no right 
to give the patriots active assistance. The President issued a 
proclamation, forbidding their taking any part in the rebellion, 
and warned them that, if they did so, they would forfeit the pro¬ 
tection of their own government. 

Nevertheless, a body of American sympathizers took posses¬ 
sion of Navy Island in Niagara River, and hired a steamer called 
the Caroline to carry provisions and war material to the insur¬ 
gents. An attempt was made by a party of British troops to 
seize the Caroline at her moorings at Schlosser. A fight followed, 
in which twelve of the defenders were killed; but the steamer 
was set on fire and allowed to drift over the falls. General Wool 



MARTIN VAN BUREN 


VAN BUREN'S ADMINISTRATION 283 

was sent to the frontier with a strong force and soon established 
order. 

Presidential Election of 1840. — The administration of Van 
Buren was one of the least satisfactory of our history. It was 
blamed for the hard times, high prices, and general bankruptcy. 
In the presidential election of 1840, Van Buren had only sixty 
votes, while William Henry Harrison and John Tyler, the Whig 
candidates, received two hundred and thirty-four. It amounted 
almost to a political revolution. 

TOPICS. —The cause of the hard times during the administration of Presi¬ 
dent Van Buren; the “specie circular how President Jackson defeated its 
purpose; the failures in New York and New Orleans; the general poverty; 
cause of the patriot war in Canada; the part taken by volunteers from the 
United States; the Carolina ; the presidential election of 1840. 

Biographical Note. — William Henry Harrison, ninth President, was 
born February 9, 1773, at Berkeley, Virginia. Losing his father at an early 
age, Robert Morris, the financier of the Revolution, became his guardian. He 
was the son of Benjamin Harrison, governor of Virginia and a signer of the 
Declaration of Independence. He was a graduate of Hampden-Sidney Col¬ 
lege, and took up the study of medicine, but, attracted by military life, he 
applied for a commission to Washington, who was a friend of his father. He 
was made a captain in 1795 and was placed in charge of Fort Washington, 
on the present site of Cincinnati. His bravery and skill led to his rapid pro¬ 
motion. He was made secretary of’the Northwestern Territory in 1797 and 
sent as its first delegate to congress in 1799. He was afterward appointed 
governor of Indiana Territory. We have learned of his valuable services in 
the war of 1812. He was a United States senator from 1825 to 1828, being 
appointed in the latter year minister to the republic of Colombia, in South 
America. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


HARRISON AND TYLER’S ADMINISTRATIONS.-1841-1845 


W 


Buulter tliU tUouumeto. 


IHIG Ascendency — Death of President Harrison. 

— The Whigs had come into power, and 
President Harrison was inaugurated on the 
1 4th of March, 1841, in the presence of an 
immense multitude. He was mounted on a 
white charger and surrounded by officers and 
soldiers who had served under him in the 
war of 1812. He stood without a hat or 
overcoat while delivering his inaugural. Such 
an exposure probably would not have harmed him in earlier 
years, but he was now an old man, with 
diminished vigor. The weather was cold, 
with snow falling. Then, too, he was 
driven to distraction by office-seekers, who 
shook his hand thousands of times, and 
pestered him without intermission. All 
this was more than his enfeebled frame 
could stand. He contracted pneumonia, 
which was aggravated by his surroundings, 
and died April 4, just one month after his 
inauguration, being the first President to 
die in office. Vice President Tyler, as pro¬ 
vided by the Constitution, was sworn in as his successor, taking 
the oath the second day after Harrison’s death. 

The Tenth President. —John Tyler, like five of his predeces¬ 
sors, was a native of Virginia, where he was born in March 29, 

284 



WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON 




HARRISON AND TYLER'S ADMINISTRATIONS 285 

1790. He was graduated at William and Mary College and pre¬ 
pared for the bar. His ability was shown by the fact that he was 
practising law at the age of nineteen, was a member of the Vir¬ 
ginia legislature at twenty-one, governor of the State at thirty- 
five, United States senator from 1827 to 1836, and President of 
the United States at the age of fifty-one. He died January 18, 
1862. 

President Tyler’s Unpopularity. — It took President Tyler but 
a brief time to make himself the most unpopular man in the 
country. The bill reviving the United 
States Bank having been vetoed, congress 
passed another framed in accordance with 
the suggestions of the executive. To the 
indignation of the bank’s friends, he 
vetoed this bill. Every member of his 
cabinet, except Daniel Webster, resigned, 
he remaining to complete some negotia¬ 
tions upon which he was engaged. In 
September, 1841, the President made up 
his new cabinet. 

In alienating his own political party, 
the President failed to gain the good-will of hjs political oppo¬ 
nents. He was too aristocratic in his tastes to suit the people. 
He was charged with treachery to his supporters, and altogether 
his unpopularity could not well have been greater. Nevertheless, 
his administration was marked by stirring and important events. 

Settlement of the Maine Boundary. — There had been continu¬ 
ous discussion with Great Britain over our territorial limits in 
the Northeast. It was finally settled, in 1842, by Lord Ashburton 
and Daniel Webster, the boundaries as they exist to-day being 
agreed upon. The Ashburton Treaty reflected great credit upon 
Secretary of State Webster. 

Dorr’s Rebellion in Rhode Island. —The charter which Charles 
II granted to Rhode Island in 1663 remained in force until 1842. 
It denied the right of suffrage to all who did not own a certain 



JOHN TYLER 


286 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


amount of property. The dissatisfaction over this provision 
increased, until the little State was sharply divided into the 
friends and opponents of the measure. Thomas Wilson Dorr 
called a convention, which formed a new constitution, that was 
ratified by fourteen thousand votes. A new assembly was elected 
and Dorr chosen governor. His attempt to take possession of 
the capital by force was resisted by Governor Samuel W. King, 
the “regular” or charter executive. It is said that Dorr drew 
up his puny army, and pointing to the State troops, who were 
advancing, called upon his supporters to stand to the last, but, 
if compelled to retreat, to do so with their faces to the foe. It 
is claimed that he added: “ As I am somewhat lame, I will start 
now,” and did so. Three days later the flurry ended without 
bloodshed. Dorr fled to Connecticut, and upon his return to 
Rhode Island was arrested on the charge of treason, convicted, 
and sentenced to imprisonment for life. This was in June, 1844. 
A year later he was unconditionally released and afterward 
restored to citizenship. Rhode Island adopted a new and more 
liberal constitution, which went into effect in May, 1843. 

Anti-rent Troubles in New York. — It will be remembered that 
during the early settlement of the State of New York the Dutch 
proprietors took possession of immense tracts of land, claiming 
and receiving privileges like those of the feudal lords in England 
hundreds of years before. These privileges descended from 
father to son, emerging from the Revolution without change. 
The most powerful of these patroons, as they were called, were 
the Van Rensselaers, two of whom fought on the side of England 
in the war of 1812. The family estates included most of Albany 
and Rensselaer counties. The rent was nominal, being a chicken 
or a handful of wheat per acre, and in some instances nothing at 
all. Old Stephen Van Rensselaer let matters drift, caring little 
whether his dues were collected or not. So it came about that 
when he died, in 1840, there were back rents due amounting to 
two hundred thousand dollars. His heirs determined to collect 
this amount, and then trouble came. 


HARRISON AND TYLER'S ADMINISTRATIONS 287 

The people resisted the demands; fierce fights followed; the 
military were called out; in 1844, a large portion of the dis¬ 
affected counties was in a state of civil war. Armed men, dis¬ 
guised as Indians, paraded through the section and compelled 
neutrals to adopt their principles. Obnoxious persons were 
tarred and feathered by the anti-renters, and a deputy sheriff 
was murdered in Delaware county. Order was not restored 
until 1846, when the State constitution was amended so as to 
abolish all feudal tenures, and the leasing of agricultural lands 
for a period exceeding twelve years was forbidden. 

A Sad Accident. — On the 28th of February, 1844, Commodore 
Stockton, commanding the steamship P?inceton , took a distin¬ 
guished party on an excursion down the Potomac. For the 
entertainment of his guests, he caused the firing of an immense 
cannon, called the Peacemaker. The gun exploded, killing Mr. 
Gilmer, secretary of the navy, Mr. Upshur, secretary of state, 
Commander Kennon, Virgil Maxey, late minister of The Hague, 
and others, besides injuring a number of sailors so seriously that 
several of them died. The whole country was thrown into gloom 
by the sad occurrence. 

The Mormons. —About this time the Mormons began to attract 
notice. Joseph Smith was the founder of the sect. Gathering 
a number of followers, they made a settlement at Jackson, 
Missouri, where they rapidly increased in numbers, but their 
atrocious practices caused the people to drive them from the 
State. They crossed the Mississippi in the spring of 1839, and 
laid out the city of Nauvoo, in Illinois. There they grew to a 
membership of ten thousand; but, after a time, the people again 
rose against them, and in the rioting Joseph and his brother 
Hyrumwere killed. The legislature annulled their charter, and, 
gathering their goods, the Mormons started for the West. After 
two years’ wandering, they located themselves, in 1846, near the 
Great Salt Lake of Utah. They founded Salt Lake City, with 
Brigham Young as their president, and built one of the most 
beautiful and prosperous cities in the whole country. 


288 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Their remoteness removed them from the public eye for several 
years. When, however, the westward emigration across the plains 
began, the Mormons helped the Indians to rob and murder peace¬ 
ful men and women. It was proved that in the Mountain Meadow 
massacre, the Mormons were the leaders, and a number of them 
took part, disguised as savages. Many years afterward, the most 
guilty were brought to trial and punished. 

The Texan War of Independence. — The Texan question, as it 
was called, had become the burning one of the hour. That vast 
territory was claimed by Mexico. Among its settlers were many 
reputable men and some evil ones. Finally, in 1836, Texas 
declared its independence of Mexico, which sent the unprinci¬ 
pled adventurer, Santa Anna, with an army, to bring it into sub¬ 
jection. At the Alamo, in San Antonio, this commander, after 
besieging the mission house for nearly two weeks, with an over¬ 
whelming force, secured the surrender of the half-dozen survivors 
by a pledge to treat them honorably. When they had given up 
their arms, he massacred them all. Shortly after, the Mexican 
army was almost destroyed by Sam Houston and his few hundred 
Texans at San Jacinto. The United States acknowledged the 
independence of Texas in 1837. It remained a republic for 
several years, and then applied for admission to the American 
Union. 

We can readily understand the bitter feeling caused by this 
request. If the vast area joined us, it would have to be as a 
slave State. The South naturally favored its admission, while 
most of the North was violently opposed. After the death of 
Mr. Upshur, by the explosion on the Princeton , John C. Calhoun 
became secretary of state in March, 1844. He insisted upon 
the admission of the Lone Star State. Henry Clay, who was the 
Whig candidate for the presidency, opposed its admission. This 
was a fatal blow to his ambition. It alienated the South, while 
there was just enough distrust of him in the North to secure his 
defeat. James K. Polk was elected President, and George M. 
Dallas of Pennsylvania became Vice President. 


HARRISON AND TYLER’S ADMINISTRATIONS 289 


The First Public Telegram. — The convention which nominated 
Polk was held in Baltimore. His nomination was made on May 
29, 1844. Those who immediately took the train to carry the 
news to Washington were astounded to find, on their arrival, 
that the news was ahead of them. It had been sent to the national 
capital by magnetic telegraph, that being the first public telegram 
that ever passed over a wire. Professor S. F. B. Morse was the 
inventor of this wonderful means of communication. 

Admission of Texas. —On the 1st of March, 1844, a joint reso¬ 
lution admitting Texas passed both houses of congress. The 
President immediately signed the bill. Texas, however, was not 
formally admitted to the Union until December 29, 1845. Florida 
became a State March 3 of that year, while Iowa entered the 
Union, December 28, 1846. 

The New States.—The Spanish missionaries in 1524 called 
the country of Texas “ Mixtecapah,” and the people “Mixtecas.” 
Probably from the last word that of Texas was derived. Florida 
received its name from Canunas de Flores, or “Feast of the 
Flowers.” It was visited, as we have learned, by Ponce de Leon 
in 1512, and again in 1516. De Soto explored it in 1539, and 
the Spanish claimed the territory. The first permanent settle¬ 
ment was made at St. Augustine in 1565, that city, as already 
stated, being the oldest within the present limits of the United 
States. Other settlements followed and prospered. Spain ceded 
Florida to England in 1763, but it was ceded back twenty years 
later. The portion west of Perdido River was secured by the 
United States from France, by treaty, in 1803. In 1819, Spain 
sold the country to us for the sum of five million dollars. Iowa 
is named from an Indian tribe, the Kiowas, so called by the 
Illinois Indians because they were “across the river.” In 1788, 
a French Canadian, named Julian Dubuque, secured a large tract 
of land and engaged in fur trading. The region was not thrown 
open to settlement until after the Black Hawk war. Emigrants 
from Illinois made the first permanent settlement at Burlington 
in 1833. Dubuque was founded the same year. 


290 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Presidential Election of 1844.—The Whig candidates against 
Polk and Dallas were Henry Clay and Theodore Frelinghuysen. 
The Democratic ticket was successful by the electoral vote of 
one hundred and seventy to one hundred and five. 

TOPICS. —The death of President Harrison; his successor; facts regarding 
him; cause of President Tyler’s unpopularity; settlement of the Maine boun¬ 
dary; history of Dorr’s rebellion in Rhode Island; the anti-rent troubles in 
New York; violent acts of the people; how the difficulty was ended; the sad 
accident on the Potomac in February, 1844; the Mormons; their city in 
Utah; the Texan war for independence; what followed; what caused the 
failure of Henry Clay’s candidacy for the presidency; the first public telegram ; 
the admission of Texas; the admission of Florida and Iowa; early history of 
Texas; of Florida; of Iowa; the presidential election of 1844. 

Biographical Notes. — Brigham Young, the most prominent of the 
later Mormons, was born in Vermont in 1801. He embraced the Mormon doc¬ 
trines in 1831, began preaching the following year, and was made an“ apostle ” 
in 1835. He attached himself closely to Joseph Smith, and upon his death was 
elected his successor. After fully “ viewing the land,” he began the settle¬ 
ment of Salt Lake City in 1848. He became governor of Deseret in 1849, and 
was appointed governor of the Territory of Utah in 1851. Polygamy was not 
originally a dogma of the Mormon faith, but Young proclaimed it in 1852. 
He defied the United States government for years and was treated with a 
leniency that seemed almost criminal. In 1857, he was persuaded to submit 
to the expedition sent out under General Albert Sidney Johnston. He re¬ 
mained president of the Mormon church until his death in 1877. 

Joseph Smith was also a native of Vermont, where he was born in 1805. 
He claimed to have discovered, in 1819, some plates buried in Mormon Hill, 
Ontario county, New York, with characters divinely engraved upon them, from 
which he constructed the Book of Mormon. He founded the sect, which 
held its first conference at Fayette, in the State of New York in 1830. The 
cardinal belief of the people was materialism and the remission of sins, the 
present distinguishing feature, as has been stated, not being added until 1852. 
The real author of the Mormon Bible was the Rev. Solomon Spaulding, who 
died in 1827. 

Sam Houston (as he always called himself) was a unique figure in Ameri¬ 
can history. He was born in Virginia, in 1793, and went to Tennessee in 
early childhood. He enlisted in the army and was made a lieutenant because 
of his bravery in fighting the Creeks. He was a Democratic congressman 
from Tennessee from 1823 to 1827 and governor of the State from 1827 to 
1829. Abandoning civilization, he lived for several years among the Creeks, 


HARRISON AND TYLER'S ADMINISTRATIONS 291 


where he became a chief. He then appeared in Texas and was a member 
of the constitutional convention of 1833, and was elected commander-in¬ 
chief of the Texan army of independence. Texas having declared herself 
independent, he was elected its first President from 1836 to 1838 and from 
1841 to 1844. He won the decisive battle of San Jacinto, where the Mexican 
army was routed and Santa Anna taken prisoner, an exploit which gave Hous¬ 
ton the title of the “ Hero of San Jacinto.” He represented Texas in con¬ 
gress from 1845 to 1859, when he was again elected governor. He refused to 
join in the secession of the State, was deposed from office, and died in 1863. 

Samuel F. B. Morse, the inventor of the magnetic telegraph, was born in 
Massachusetts in 1791, and spent the early years of his life in studying paint¬ 
ing, in which he acquired considerable skill. He conceived the idea of the 
electromagnetic telegraph in 1832, and labored for a number of years in bring¬ 
ing it into practical use. He underwent poverty, discouragements, and re¬ 
peated failures before he attained success. Finally congress appropriated 
thirty thousand dollars for the erection of an experimental line between Wash¬ 
ington and Baltimore. The necessary preliminary funds were furnished by 
Alfred Vail, who advanced two thousand dollars, for which he was to receive 
one-fourth interest in the invention. He also greatly assisted in bringing the 
invention to perfection. The first message over the wire was dictated by 
Annie Ellsworth to Professor Morse in Washington and received by Alfred 
Vail, forty miles away at Baltimore. It was sent on May 23, 1844, and con¬ 
sisted of the words, “ What hath God wrought.” This telegram is now in the 
possession of the Connecticut Historical Society. The public message, an¬ 
nouncing Polk’s nomination, was sent to Washington, as will be remembered, 
on the day following. 

James K. Polk, the eleventh President, was born in Mecklenburg county, 
North Carolina, November 2, 1795. He removed early in life to Tennes¬ 
see, which State he represented in congress for fourteen years, being elected 
speaker twice. He became governor in 1839 and defeated Van Buren for the 
presidential nomination, because he favored the annexation of Texas, while 
Van Buren opposed it. He died June 15, 1849. 


0 


CHAPTER XXIX 


polk’s administration. — 1845-1849 

HE War with Mexico. —Just as every one ex¬ 
pected, the admission of Texas caused a war 
with Mexico. When, therefore, the Texan 
legislature, on the 4th of July, 1845, ratified 
the act of*annexation to the United States, 
the authorities asked our government to send 
an army for their protection. In January, 
1846, General Zachary Taylor was ordered 
to advance from his camp in western Loui¬ 
siana and occupy Texas. 

The First Conflict. — He first established a depot of provisions 
at Point Isabel on the Gulf, and then marched to the Rio Grande 
(gran-dy), halting opposite the Mexican 
town of Matamoras, where he hastily built 
Fort Brown. In the month of April, Gen¬ 
eral Arista (a-reest'ah), commanding the 
Mexican forces, notified Taylor that hostil¬ 
ities had begun. On the 26th of the same 
month, Captain Thornton, with a com¬ 
pany of American dragoons, was attacked 
by a much superior force and, after a gal¬ 
lant resistance, compelled to surrender. 

In the Mexican war, therefore, the first 
bloodshed took place on the soil of Texas. 

Victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. — Leaving a gar¬ 
rison of three hundred men at Fort Brown, General Taylor hurried 

292 



JAMES K. POLK 




POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 


293 


off. to save Point Isabel. On his way back, he met, May 8, a 
Mexican force more than double his own, at Palo Alto (pah'lo 
ahPto), where, in a desperate battle, the Mexicans were routed. 
The following day another large force was encountered at Resaca 
de la Palma (ra-sah'cah 
da la pahl'mah), within 
three miles of Fort 
Brown. The issue of 
this battle was doubtful 
for a time, but at the 
critical moment Captain 
May, with his dragoons, 
charged through the 
grape-shot, sabred the 
Mexican gunners, and 
captured La Vega (lha 
va'gah), the command¬ 
ing officer. This disaster threw the Mexicans into a panic, and 
they fled to the other side of the Rio Grande. 

The American Plan of Campaign. — General Scott now organ¬ 
ized the American forces in three divisions. The army of the 
West, under General Kearny (Car'ny), was to cross the Rocky 
Mountains and conquer the northern Mexican provinces; the 
army of Occupation, under General Taylor, was to seize and hold 
the districts of the Rio Grande; the army of the Centre, under 
General Scott, the commander-in-chief, was to march from the 
Gulf into the heart of the country, while General Wool was to 
attend to the mustering in of the troops. 

Capture of Matamoras and Monterey.—“ Rough and Ready,” 
as General Taylor was popularly known, crossed the Rio Grande 
opposite Fort Brown, ten days after his victory at Resaca de la 
Palma, and captured Matamoras with little trouble. Reinforce¬ 
ments having increased the number of his men to sixty-six hun¬ 
dred, he advanced upon Monterey (mon-ta-ra'), which was 
defended by ten thousand troops. The city was invested on 







294 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



September 19, the fortified works in the rear of the town being 
captured two days later by General Worth. On the 23d the 
city was carried in front and a general assault followed. The 
Mexicans fought with unusual bravery, but nothing could check 
the Americans, who pushed through the streets and over house¬ 
tops. Ampudia, the 
commander, surren¬ 
dered and, receiving 
the honors of war, re¬ 
treated in the direction 
of the city of Mexico. 

Victory at Buena 
Vista. — Victory 
crowned the Ameri¬ 
can arms everywhere, 
though to this day 
Mexico celebrates all 
her defeats as so many 
victories. General 
Scott, having decided 
to march against the 
capital, ordered most 
of the army of Occu¬ 
pation to join him on 
the Gulf. Santa Anna 
advanced with twenty 
thousand men to crush 
Taylor, who took posi- 

BATTLE OF RESACA DE LA PALMA . r 

tion at Buena Vista 
(bwa'nah vees'tah). There, February 23, 1847, he was attacked 
by the Mexicans who had a force four times as great as that of 
the Americans. The battle continued all day, ending in the de¬ 
feat of the.Mexicans, who retreated in the night. 

Conquest of New Mexico and California. — Leaving Fort Leaven¬ 
worth in June, 1846, General Kearny captured and garrisoned 




POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 


295 


Santa F£ on the 18th of the following August. The New Mexi¬ 
can provinces were not eager for war and readily submitted. 
While pushing for the Pacific coast, Kearny learned that Fre¬ 
mont had conquered California. With the aid of Commodores 
Stockton and Sloat and General Kearny, the entire country was 
brought into subjection before the close of the year. 

The Advance on the Capital. —With a force of twelve thousand 
men, General Scott, in March, 1847, completed the investment 
of Vera Cruz (va'rah crooz). Aided by Commodore Conner, a 
bombardment was kept up for several days, when the city surren¬ 
dered on the 29th of March. This opened the road to the city 
of Mexico, and Scott entered upon his final campaign. The 
Mexicans were encountered at the mountain pass of Cerro Gordo 
and defeated. Santa Anna fled in so great a hurry that he left 
his wooden leg behind him. The following day the army entered 
Jalapa (hah-lah'pah). The castle of Perote surrendered without 
resistance, and large supplies were thus secured by the Americans. 

There was no resistance at the city of Pueblo (poo-a'blah), and 
on the 10th of August the American army gained its first sight of 
the beautiful city of Mexico. Fifteen miles from the capital at 
Ayotla, the fortifications were found so strong that General Scott 
moved to the south around Lake Chaleos, thence eastward to San 
Augustin, which brought him within ten miles of the city. Con¬ 
treras (con-tra'ras) was stormed on the morning of August 20, 
and in less than half an hour the six thousand Mexicans were 
driven headlong out of the fortifications. Then the garrison of 
San Antonia was routed. The heights of Churubusco (choo-roo- 
boos'ko) were next stormed. A powerful force of the enemy was 
gathered there, but a number of batteries were captured. Santa 
Anna set out to help the garrison, but was driven back. 

At this juncture proposals were received from Santa Anna to 
negotiate, but his terms were those of a conqueror, and it was 
apparent that he was only seeking to gain time. Hostilities were, 
therefore, resumed on September 7, the western defences being 
captured the next day. Chapultepec (cha-pool'te-pec) fell and, 


296 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

when the sun went down, it saw the invaders within the suburbs 
of the city of Mexico. 

Capture of the City of Mexico and the Treaty of Peace. — On 

the night of September 13, after the Americans had entered the 
suburbs of the city, Santa Anna set two thousand convicts loose 
to fight our soldiers, while he and the city officers ran off in the 
darkness. About sunrise the capital surrendered, and Mexico 

was conquered. A 
treaty of peace was 
concluded at Guada¬ 
lupe Hidalgo, Febru¬ 
ary 2, 1848, by which 
we gained Texas, 
New Mexico, Califor¬ 
nia, and Arizona. For 
these valuable prov¬ 
inces, our government 
pledged itself to pay 
Mexico fifteen million 
dollars, and to assume 
all debts due from the 
Mexican government 
to American citizens 
to the extent of 
$3,500,000. 

Settlement of the 
Oregon Boundary. — 
Oregon had been jointly occupied by Great Britain and the 
United States for more than twenty years. There was a good 
deal of friction between the two countries, with now and then 
sharp talk of war. Finally, the present boundary was agreed 
upon and the troublesome question settled. 

Discovery of Gold in California.—James W. Marshall, while 
digging out a mill race in the Sacramento valley, in the month 
of February, 1848, picked up a yellow pebble, whose nature he 






POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 


297 


half suspected. Investigation proved not only that it was pure 
gold, but that the soil for miles around contained millions of 
dollars worth of the precious metal. The news spread like wild¬ 
fire, and, in the course of a few months, thousands were flocking 
from the four quarters of the globe to the new El Dorado. The 
yield of the mines of the State since then has been nearly a bill¬ 
ion of dollars, with still an immense output annually. 

Admission of Wisconsin. —Wisconsin was admitted to the 
Union on May 29, 1848. Its name is an Indian word signifying 
“Wild, rushing waters.” The country west of Lake Michigan 
was explored in 1639 by the French missionaries, trappers, and 
traders. The first settlement was at Prairie du Chien (pra're du 
sheen'). The region remained under French rule until 1763, 
when it was ceded to England. It reverted to the United States 
by treaty in 1796. It was a part of the Illinois Territory from 
1809 to 1818, when it became attached to Michigan. It was 
separately organized in 1836. 

Presidential Election of 1848. —The most popular hero in this 
country is the military one. The Whigs had tried three times to 
elect Henry Clay and failed, and were afraid to try even so great 
a statesman as Daniel Webster. Eight years before, they carried 
the country with General Harrison. They now repeated the ex¬ 
periment by putting forward “Rough and Ready,” as General 
Zachary Taylor was popularly called. They were wise in doing 
so, for he was elected by a substantial majority, Millard Fillmore 
being the nominee for Vice President. 

TOPICS. —What every one knew; the request of the Texan legislature; 
the action of General Taylor; the first conflict; the victory at Palo Alto; at 
Resaca de la Palma; the American plan of campaign; the capture of Mata- 
moras and Monterey; the victory at Buena Vista; the conquest of New Mex¬ 
ico and California; the advance against the capital of Mexico; the different 
engagements; fall of the city of Mexico; the treaty of peace; its terms; the 
settlement of the Oregon boundary; the discovery of gold in California; the 
rush thither and the great yield; the admission of Wisconsin; its early his¬ 
tory; the presidential election of 1848. 


298 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Biographical Notes. — Stephen W. Kearny (this name is generally 
misspelled Kearney) was born in 1794 and did good service in the war of 1812. 
He was made brigadier general in 1846, and during the Mexican war estab¬ 
lished a provisional government at Santa Fe. His victory at San Pasqual 
caused him to be promoted to a major generalship. In 1847, was ma de 
governor of California, and died in 1848. 

John E. Wool, born in 1784, won great credit at Queenstown Heights in 
1812 and at Plattsburg in 1814. From 1816 to 1841 he was inspector gen¬ 
eral of the army. He was next in command to General Taylor at Buena Vista. 
From 1857 to i860 he commanded the Eastern department; from 1861 to 
1862, Fort Monroe; from 1862 to 1863, the middle military department; and 
in 1863, the department of the East. He died in 1869. 

William J. Worth was born in 1794 and entered the military service on the 
breaking out of the war of 1812, fighting bravely at Chippewa and Niagara. 
He assumed command of the department of Florida in 1841, and, as we have 
learned, succeeded in bringing the long Seminole war to a close. He was next 
in command to General Taylor when the Mexican war broke out, participat¬ 
ing in the assault on Monterey and in the battles of Vera Cruz and the various 
engagements ending in the capture of the city of Mexico. He died in 1849. 

Robert F. Stockton was born in 1795, being the grandson of Richard 
Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He entered the 
navy in 1812 and distinguished himself in the war with Algiers. He was a 
man of dauntless personal bravery, as he proved in many instances. While 
engaged in the establishment of the African republic of Liberia, he was once 
surrounded by a party of natives, who were determined to take his life. 
Stockton seized the chief by the throat and, holding his pistol at his head, let 
it be known that on the first demonstration, he would kill their leader. The 
natives were so terrified that they were glad to see him depart in peace. He 
commanded a squadron on the California coast in the Mexican war and co¬ 
operated with Fremont in the conquest of that province. He resigned from 
the navy in 1850 and was United States senator from New Jersey in 1851 to 
1853. He died in 1866. 

Zachary Taylor, twelfth President, was born at Orange Court House, Vir- ' 
ginia, September 24, 1784, but his parents removed to Kentucky while he 
was an infant. He received a meagre education, but was an excellent soldier. 
For his gallant defence of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, in the war of 1812, 
against a superior force, President Madison appointed him major by brevet, 
that being the first time such an honor was conferred in the American army. 
We have learned of his fine service in the war with Mexico, which led to his 
nomination for the presidency, though he was so little interested in politics, 
that he had not cast a vote for forty years. 


CHAPTER XXX 

TAYLOR AND FILLMORE’S ADMINISTRATIONS.-1849-1853 

IMPENDING Civil War — The Slavery Question. 

— Slavery had become the all-absorbing ques¬ 
tion of the hour. The congress of 1850 con¬ 
tained those intellectual giants, — Clay, Cal¬ 
houn, Webster, Seward, and Benton, — and 
the debates stirred the nation. California 
was clamoring for admission to the Union. 
Should she enter as a free or slave State ? 

The quarrel intensified, and civil war seemed 
imminent. Then it was that Henry Clay, the “Great Pacifica¬ 
tor,” forgetting his years and his physical weakness, in his burn¬ 
ing patriotism, stepped forward once more 
and for the last time with his panacea for 
the “five bleeding wounds,” as he termed 
them. Reinforced by the eloquence of 
Webster, the “ Omnibus Bill ” was carried 
through both houses of congress and, be¬ 
coming the law of the land, averted civil 
war, — but only for a time. This bill 
provided for the admission of California 
as a free State; the formation of territorial 
governments for Utah and New Mexico, 
without any provision concerning slavery; 
the payment of ten million dollars to Texas to yield its claim to 
the territory of New Mexico; the prohibition of the slave trade 
in the District of Columbia; and a fugitive slave law declaring 

299 



ZACHARY TAYLOR 







300 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


that slaves escaping to a free State should be returned to their 
owners. 

Death of President Taylor — The Thirteenth President. — In the 
midst of the exciting discussion, President Taylor died from an 
attack of bilious fever July 9, 1850. Vice President Fillmore 
took the oath of office the next day. He 
was born at Summer-Hill, New York, Feb¬ 
ruary 7, 1800. He learned the fuller’s 
trade, taught school for a few years, studied 
law, and, taking up its practice in Buffalo, 
met with great success. He served as 
state comptroller one term and as con¬ 
gressman four terms. He was a believer 
in the compromise measure of Clay, and, 
though an able man, was by no means the 
equal of many around him. He died in 
Buffalo, March 7, 1874. 

Admission of California.—California was admitted under the 
provisions specified September 9, 1850. The origin of the name 
of the State is a matter of- dispute, but is generally believed to 
have been derived from a name in a Spanish romance published 
in 1530. The section was visited by a Spanish navigator, named 
Cabrillo (ca-breel'yo), in 1542. The first settlements were made 
by the Spaniards about 1768. A number of Franciscan friars 
founded presidios or religious establishments for the conversion 
of the Indians. These friars acquired great wealth and virtually 
enslaved the natives. In 1822, upon the overthrow of the Span¬ 
ish power in California, the fathers were stripped of their riches 
and authority. By and by, an emigration thither began from the 
United States, but it was slow until the discovery of gold, as 
described elsewhere, when it assumed prodigious proportions. 

The Fugitive Slave Law. — The passage of the Fugitive Slave 
Law, though a part of Clay’s famous “Omnibus Bill,” soon 
added fuel to the flames it was intended to quench. The ma¬ 
jority of the supreme court, the highest tribunal in the land in 



MILLARD FILLMORE 


TAYLOR AND FILLMORE'S ADMINISTRATIONS 301 


rendering what is known as the Dred Scott decision, declared the 
law constitutional. It was defied and resisted in the North. 
The slaves, who were continually fleeing from their masters, were 
helped on to Canada, where only they were absolutely safe, or 
were hidden by friends in the free States. Frequent collisions 
took place, and people were killed. By and by, some of the 



THE SLAVERY QUESTION IN CONGRESS 


States passed “personal liberty” bills, by which such fugitives 
were granted a trial by jury in the face of the decision of the 
supreme court. The breach between the North and South grew 
wider every day and almost every hour. 

Presidential Election of 1852.—The Democratic convention 
for the nomination of candidates for the presidency and vice 
presidency was held in Baltimore in the month of June, 1852. 
A curious fact about it was that thirty-five ballots were taken 










302 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


before the name of Franklin Pierce was presented. The contest 
was so determined among the leaders that Virginia, on the 
thirty-sixth ballot, placed Pierce in nomination. On the forty- 
ninth ballot he swept everything from his path and was declared 
the nominee. More than one-half the people in the country 
had never heard of him, but in the autumn canvass he overwhelm¬ 
ingly defeated General Winfield Scott, the Whig candidate, 
William R. King of Alabama being chosen Vice President. 

TOPICS. —The slavery question; the intellectual giants in the congress of 
1850; the question as to the admission of California; the last work of Henry 
Clay; the provisions of the “Omnibus Bill,” which calmed the storm for the 
time; the death of President Taylor; Millard Fillmore; admission of Cali¬ 
fornia; early history of the State; effects of the passage of the Fugitive Slave 
Law; “personal liberty” bills; the presidential election of 1852. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Notes. —Winfield Scott was born in Virginia in 1786, 
educated at William and Mary College, and commissioned as lieutenant in 
the army in 1808. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Queenstown 
Heights in 1812, and, upon his exchange, distinguished himself and was so 
badly wounded at Lundy’s Lane, of which he was the hero, that he was una¬ 
ble to take further part in the war. He was made a major general, fought 
against the SeminOles and Creeks, and became commander-in-chief of the 
army in 1841. He was the conqueror of Mexico, and the foremost general 
at that time in the country. His crushing defeat by one of his subordinate 
officers, in the presidential campaign of 1852, astonished the country, since he 
received only forty-two electoral votes to two hundred and fifty-four cast for 
Pierce. General Scott was a martinet, pompous of manner and always conscious 
of the dignity of his office. He was a man of prodigious size, being fully six 
feet four inches tall and massive in proportion. He was in command of the 
army at the outbreak of the civil war, but resigned in October, 1861. He died 
five years later, and was buried in the national burying ground at West Point. 

Franklin Pierce, the fourteenth President, was born at Hillsborough, New 
Hampshire, November 23, 1804. He was a classmate of Longfellow and Haw¬ 
thorne at Bowdoin College, and, upon his graduation, became a successful law¬ 
yer. He served in his State legislature and was a member of congress from 1833 
to 1837. Pfi s ability attracted attention, and, entering the United States senate 
in 1839, he remained until 1842, afterward declining a cabinet appointment 
from President Polk. Upon the breaking out of the Mexican war, Mr. Pierce 
volunteered his services. Although he held no command above that of a brig¬ 
ade, he displayed great gallantry in several battles. He died October 8, 1869. 


CHAPTER XXXI 


pierce’s administration. — 185 3-185 7 

must record a noteworthy fact (because it was 
never known before and down to the present 
has not been repeated) which is, that through¬ 
out the four years of President Pierce’s ad¬ 
ministration there was not a single change in 
his cabinet. 

Repeal of the Missouri Compromise. — The 
most important event of Pierce’s administra¬ 
tion was the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Senator 
Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois introduced a bill for the organ¬ 
ization of the Territories of Kansas and 
Nebraska, with the provision that they 
should decide for themselves the question 
of slavery. After a heated discussion, 
the bill became a law May 31, 1854. 

“Bleeding Kansas.” — Nebraska lay 
too far north to be disturbed by the slavery 
quarrel, and had no trouble, but Kansas 
quickly became the scene of violence and 
bloodshed. The pro-slavery men hurried 
emigrants thither, so as to gain control of 
the elections, while New England was 
equally active in providing parties of settlers with all they'needed, 
especially Bibles and rifles. The men on both sides were desper¬ 
ately in earnest and committed many crimes. A pro-slavery 
government was organized at Lecompton and an anti-slavery one 
at Topeka. Each attempted to enforce its laws and civil war 

303 





304 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


followed. At night the skies were lit up with the glare of burn¬ 
ing homes, and the crack of the deadly rifle was hardly ever 
silent by day or night. Within the space of five years, six differ¬ 
ent governors were sent into Kansas to restore order, and every 
one failed and gave up in disgust. 

The War in Congress. — Congress, in a smaller way, became a 
miniature Kansas. The members went to the chambers armed 



ASSAULT ON CHARLES SUMNER 


with knives and pistols, and there were several personal en¬ 
counters, with constant threats of appealing to the “code.” 
Generally the Republicans controlled the house of representa¬ 
tives, while the Democrats were in a majority in the senate. 
Kansas at last formed a state government forbidding slavery, and 
asked to be admitted to the Union. The house was willing, but 
the senate refused. Senator Sumner of Massachusetts was among 










PIERCE ADMINISTRA TION 


305 


the foremost opponents of slavery and made many powerful 
speeches against it. One of his speeches angered Senator Butler 
of South Carolina, who, however, contented himself with a sav¬ 
age reply. His nephew, Preston S. Brooks, a congressman from 
the same State, strode into the senate chamber, where Sumner 
was writing at his desk, and, without warning, furiously assaulted 
him with a heavy cane. Before he could be checked, he had 
beaten the helpless senator into insensibility and injured him so 
grievously that his* life was despaired of. He was obliged to 
4 make a voyage to Europe, undergo one of the severest of surgical 
operations, and did not recover for several years. 

Brooks was lionized by his people for his shocking crime, and 
the resolution to expel him from the house was not carried. He 
died the following year, and the shameful incident added fuel 
to the flames of hatred that were already burning unquenchably 
between the North and South. 

Presidential Election of 1856. —The Republican party was fully 
organized during Pierce’s administration. As a result of the 
passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, in 1854, the northern Free 
Soilers, Whigs, Democrats, Know Nothings, and Abolitionists 
fused into one compact organization, whose fundamental prin¬ 
ciple was opposition to the extension of slavery. The party in¬ 
creased rapidly, and, at Philadelphia, in June, 1856, nominated 
John C. Fremont of California and William L. Dayton of New 
Jersey as its candidates for the presidency and vice presidency. 
There were other tickets in the field beside the Democratic, 
which elected James Buchanan, who received one hundred and 
seventy-four electoral votes out of a total of two hundred and 
ninety-six, while one hundred and fourteen went to Fremont. 

This large vote by the new party opposed to slavery startled the 
South. They understood for the first time the magnitude of the 
opposition to its “peculiar institution,” and though they were 
not then ready to secede, they began preparing for the step if, 
as seemed likely, the Republicans should, at the next national 
election, carry all the free States and elect their candidates. 


x 


30 6 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


TOPICS. —A noteworthy fact regarding Pierce’s administration; the repeal 
of the Missouri Compromise; “bleeding Kansas; the reign of civil war in the 
Territory; the attempts of the friends and enemies of slavery; the scenes in 
congress; the assault upon Senator Sumner; intensifying of the quarrel be¬ 
tween the North and South; organization of the Republican party; its first 
national nominees; result of the election of 1856; effect upon the South. 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. — Stephen A. Douglas was born in Vermont in 
1813. He was a farmer, a teacher, and, while still a young man, began the prac¬ 
tice of law in Illinois. He was bright, aggressive, and a popular stump speaker. 
He was elected to the state legislature, was attorney general, was elected sec¬ 
retary of state of Illinois in 1840, and in the year following received the 
appointment of judge of the supreme court of that State. He was elected to 
the house of representatives in 1843 and served until 1847, when he entered 
the senate and remained until 1861. During this period he forged to the 
front, among the foremost of Democrats. He had a large head, but was short 
of stature, and his many admirers named him “ Little Giant.” . Douglas was 
the author of the doctrine of “ popular sovereignty,” of which so much was 
heard after the close of the Mexican war. It meant that the people of all the 
Territories should be left free to settle the question of slavery for themselves. 
The Kansas-Nebraska bill, therefore, was an expression of this principle. He 
had a large following, which presented his name to the national convention 
of 1852 and of 1856. In i860, the northern wing nominated him. His great 
debate with Abraham Lincoln in 1858, when the two were candidates for the 
United States senate, first brought Lincoln into national prominence. He was 
an ardent Union man throughout the civil war and a strong supporter of Presi¬ 
dent Lincoln, with whom he had been on friendly terms for years. He died 
in June, 1861. 

Charles Sumner was born in Boston in 1811, was graduated at Harvard in 
1830, and after studying law made an extensive European tour. He was an 
accomplished scholar and an eloquent orator. He became deeply interested in 
the slavery question, and, although not actively participating in politics, his 
addresses were, marked by the highest culture and the profoundest depth. 
He was a Whig in politics, but helped to reorganize the Free Soil party in 
1848, and was its successful candidate for congress. After a fight of several 
months in the Massachusetts legislature, in 1851, a combination of Free Soil- 
ers and Democrats elected him to the United States senate, his re-election 
regularly following until his death. In that august body he became the leader 
of the anti-slavery sentiment. It was his speech on the “ Crime against Kan¬ 
sas,” in May, 1856, which provoked the frightful assault upon him by Preston 
S. Brooks, and which prevented Sumner from resuming his seat until 1859. 
He was the chief supporter of President Lincoln, whose tactful wisdom enabled 


PIER CE ’S AD MINIS TRA 71 ON 


30 ; 



him to control the dogmatic side of this great senator, where any other man 
would have failed. He opposed President Johnson, and by his defeat of the 
San Domingo treaty, which was a favorite measure of President Grant, alien¬ 
ated the leading Republicans. He was a supporter of Horace Greeley’s can¬ 
didacy in 1872, and always a true friend to the colored man, whose rights he 
championed to the close 
of his life, which came in 
March, 1874. 

John C. Fremont was 
born in Virginia in 1813 
and received his education 
in Charleston. He first 
entered the United States 
navy, but soon joined the 
corps of topographical 
engineers and married 
Jesse Benton, the daugh¬ 
ter of United States Sena¬ 
tor Benton. In 1842, he 
entered upon his career as 
a western explorer, pene¬ 
trating the Rocky Moun¬ 
tain region to the peak 
which was named in his 
honor. In 1843 an< 3 1844, 
he conducted a more ex¬ 
tensive exploration of the 
comparatively unknown 
Far West, which carried 
him into the Utah Basin 
and through the passes of 
the Sierra Nevada. He 

was engaged on another fremont crossing the rookies 

expedition which found 

him in California at the breaking out of the Mexican war of 1846, whither he 
had gone, having received secret information from the government of the 
probable war between the countries. He helped Commodore Stockton to 
conquer California, but was court-martialled for accepting orders from Stockton 
instead of General Kearny. Feeling aggrieved, he resigned his commission 
in the United States army. Hitherto, Fremont had conducted his explora¬ 
tions for the government, but he now carried through two on his own account. 









3°8 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


The first, 1853-1854, was attended by almost incredible hardships and suffer¬ 
ings, in which many of his men were frozen to death, and all the animals 
perished. He was sent as senator from California for the short term, and, as 
we have learned, was defeated for the presidency in 1856. He was given an 
important command at the opening of the civil war, but achieved no special 
success as a military leader. He died in 1890. 

James Buchanan, fifteenth President, was born in Mercersburg, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, April 23, 1791. He was graduated from'Dickinson College in 1809, 
and, having become a lawyer, was elected to the state legislature, followed by 
his election to congress in 1821. He was appointed minister to Russia by 
President Jackson in 1832, but soon returned home and was elected to the 
United States senate in 1834. Through his long life he was almost continu¬ 
ously in public office. When he left the senate, in 1845, ^ was *° en t er Presi¬ 
dent Polk’s cabinet as his secretary of state. He had already become a 
prominent candidate for the presidency. In 1853, he was appointed minister 
to England, where he remained until 1856, when he was elected to the presi¬ 
dency. His term was a most trying one, its conclusion overlapping the edge 
of the great civil war. He was accused of timidity, and perhaps the charge 
was justifiable. It must have given him infinite relief, when at last he handed 
over the government to his successor. He returned to his home at Lancaster, 
where he died June 1, 1868. Mr. Buchanan was the only bachelor who had 
thus far been President of the United States. 


CHAPTER XXXII 


buchanan’s administration. — 1857-1861 

PINING Issue with the Supreme Court — The 
Dred Scott Decision. — The Dred Scott de¬ 
cision has been referred to as one of the 
causes which intensified the anger between 
the two sections of the Union. Dred Scott 
was a slave, whose owner was a surgeon in 
the army, and who took him to Fort Snelling, 
Minnesota, afterward returning to Missouri. 
Scott brought suit for hj^ freedom, because 
he had been taken into territory where slavery was prohibited. 
The decision, sometimes one way and sometimes another, was 
carried up from court to court, until it 
reached the United States supreme court, 
the highest tribunal in the land. There 
the decision was read by Chief Justice 
Taney in 1857. 

His decision was in conformity with the 
Southern view of the slavery question. It 
was assented to by six members of the 
court, all of whom were slave holders, the 
other two dissenting. It was in effect that 
slaves are property , and not regarded by 
the Constitution as persons . Consequently 
a slave owner had a right to take his slaves anywhere he chose 
within the Union, without losing ownership in them. The expres¬ 
sion, “ Negroes have no rights which the white man is bound to 

309 



JAMES BUCHANAN 





3io 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


respect,” was repeated numberless times, and added to the resent¬ 
ment of the North, where, as we have learned, some of the States 
joined issue with the supreme court, and passed “ personal liberty ” 
bills. Frequent collisions occurred between slave owners and 
those befriending the runaways. 

John Brown’s Raid.—John Brown, a fanatical Abolitionist, 
who had been active with his sons in the Kansas troubles, came 
to look upon himself as the chosen instrument of the Lord to 
free the land from slavery. He formed a plan to invade Virginia 
with a small force, and to start an insurrection among the slaves 
which would sweep through the entire South. With twenty fol¬ 
lowers he stationed himself in the month of October, 1859, on 
the Maryland shore opposite Harper’s Ferry. On Sunday night, 
the 16th, the band crossed the railway bridge over the Potomac, 
took possession of the Federal armory, captured several citizens, 
stopped railway trains, and held the town for twenty-four hours. 
His intention was to launch the “ revolution ” before the authori¬ 
ties could stop him* and he cut the telegraph wires to prevent the 
news reaching the state or national government. 

Meanwhile, Brown having killed a number of the citizens, re¬ 
treated to a small engine house, with several of his men. There 
they kept the mob at bay throughout Monday and the night fol¬ 
lowing. The startling news had reached Washington, and on 
Tuesday morning Colonel Robert E. Lee arrived with a force of 
marines and land troops. The local militia had been called out, 
and there was no escape for Brown. But he would not surrender. 
Colonel Lee battered in the door of the engine house, one of his 
men being shot down, and Brown was overpowered, after his two 
sons had been killed and himself wounded several times. He 
was tried by the authorities of Virginia, and with six companions 
hanged on the 2d of December. The South naturally charged the 
North with the crime, though it was wholly the work of Brown. 
The raid was another step forward toward the war for the Union. 

The First Atlantic Cable. — The Atlantic is now spanned by 
several cables, which stretching along the ocean bottom through 


BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION 311 

valleys miles deep, over submarine mountains and across hun¬ 
dreds of miles of plateau, keep the Old and New World in con¬ 
stant touch. The first telegraphic cable was completed August 
5, 1858. The credit for the success of the enterprise was mainly 
due to Cyrus W. Field, a wealthy merchant of New York. Several 
messages passed back and forth, among them one from Queen 
Victoria to President Buchanan. The event was celebrated on 
both continents with great rejoicing, but something was wrong 
with the insulation. The trouble grew worse, until on the 4th of 
September it was impossible to transmit a word through the wire. 
The mute tongue could not be roused into speech. A new com¬ 
pany was formed and repeated attempts made to reopen com¬ 
munication and to lay a new cable, but success was not reached 
until 1866. 

Admission of Minnesota, Oregon, and Kansas. — Minnesota, so 
named from its principal river, which means “ sky-tinted water,” 
was admitted to the Union May n, 1858. It was in 1680, that 
Hennepin, a Franciscan priest, with a party of fur traders, paddled 
down the Illinois, and then ascended the upper Mississippi to the 
great falls which he named St. Anthony. The territory belonged 
to the Louisiana purchase, and followed its changes and transfers. 
Fort Snelling was built in 1819, and lumbering began on the St. 
Croix (croy) in 1837. The first building in St. Paul was put up 
in 1838, and the territory was organized in 1849. The Sioux 
(sob) Indians ceded a vast tract to the United States in 1851, 
when a rapid immigration began, and the settlement and develop¬ 
ment of the country continued. 

Oregon was admitted February 14, 1859. Its name is a Spanish 
word signifying “ vales of wild thyme.” In 1792, Captain Robert 
Gray sailed up the fine stream which still bears the name of one 
of his vessels, the Columbia. The expedition of Lewis and Clark, 
in 1804, brought back the first reliable information of the Pacific 
coast. Astoria was founded in 1811 by the American Fur Com¬ 
pany, of which John Jacob Astor was president. The name Ore¬ 
gon was originally applied to all the country on the Pacific between 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


312 

42 0 and 54 0 40' north latitude. The treaty with England in 1846 
cut down the northern boundary to the forty-ninth degree. Emi¬ 
gration was slow until 1839, w ^ en legislation favoring it was made, 
and afterward added to, by which the new territory was rapidly 
settled. 

That portion of Kansas lying east of the one hundredth merid¬ 
ian formed a part of the Louisiana purchase of 1803. After the 
passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, emigrants began 
flocking into the territory, and the strife between the anti-slavery 
and pro-slavery men began and was continued for years. The 
name of the State is believed to have the same derivation as 
“ Arkansas.” 

Election of Abraham Lincoln.—The presidential election of 
i860 was held amid an excitement such as was never before 
known. The Democratic convention met in Charleston in April, 
i860, and stayed until May 1, when fifty-seven ballots had been 
taken without selecting a nominee. A number of the dissatisfied 
members organized anew and agreed to meet in Richmond on the 
nth of June. At this meeting they nominated John C. Brecken- 
ridge of Kentucky for the presidency and Joseph Lane of Oregon 
for the vice presidency. The rest of the Charleston convention 
adjourned to Baltimore, where on the 18th of June they nomi¬ 
nated Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois for the presidency and 
Herschel V. Johnson of Georgia for the vice presidency. 

Meanwhile, the Republican convention met at Chicago, May 
16, and placed in nomination Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, with 
Hannibal Hamlin of Maine the nominee for Vice President. The 
week previous, the “ Constitutional Union ” party at Baltimore 
nominated John Bell of Tennessee for President and Edward 
Everett of Massachusetts for Vice President. The election re¬ 
sulted in the choice of the Republican nominees. 

Secession of South Carolina. — South Carolina lost no time in 
proving the deadly earnestness of her threat to withdraw from the 
Union upon the election of the Republican candidates. On 
the 20th of December, i860, the convention in Charleston passed 


B UCHANAN’S AD MINIS TEA TION 


313 


the ordinance of secession. Too impatient to wait for her sister 
States, she organized as a new nation, and arranged to send 
ambassadors, ministers, and consuls abroad. Governor Pickens 
formed a cabinet, with the usual departments ; provisions were 
made for military op¬ 
erations ; the state 
banks were author¬ 
ized to suspend spe¬ 
cie payments, and a 
loan of four hundred 
thousand dollars was 
promptly taken up; 
a call for volunteers 
was made, and it was 
decided if necessary 
to order a draft. 

Having taken the 
momentous step, 

South Carolina pre¬ 
pared to parry the 
blow that she knew 
would soon be struck 
against her. Charles¬ 
ton harbor was de¬ 
fended by Castle 
Pinckney and Forts 
Moultrie, Sumter, and 
Johnson. Fort Sum¬ 
ter was the most for¬ 
midable. Major Robert Anderson, commanding the United States 
forces in Fort Moultrie, seeing the weakness of the Federal posi¬ 
tion, strengthened Castle Pinckney and Moultrie, but the superior 
officers to whom he was obliged to report in Washington were 
secessionists and his situation became most trying. On the night 
of December 26, he concentrated all his forces a.t Fort Sumter, 



FIRING ON THE STAR OF THE WEST 






314 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

The South Carolinians were angered and pronounced the act a 
hostile one. They occupied Fort Moultrie and Castle Pinckney 
the following day. The custom house and post-office were seized, 
and then the government arsenal was taken possession of by the 
militia. On the morning of January 9, the Star of the West 
approached Fort Sumter to deliver supplies, but was fired upon 
and compelled to return to New York. 

Formation of the Southern Confederacy. — On the 4th of Feb¬ 
ruary, delegates from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Missis¬ 
sippi, Louisiana, and Florida met at Montgomery, Alabama. By 
a unanimous vote Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was provisionally 
elected President and Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia Vice 
President of the Confederate States of America. The flag was 
first unfurled on the 4th of March over the State House at Mont¬ 
gomery. Davis and Stephens were inaugurated on the 18th of 
February. Mississippi seceded January 9; Florida and Alabama 
on the nth; Georgia, the 19th; Louisiana, the 26th; and Texas 
on the 1 st of February. Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and 
Arkansas joined the Confederacy later. 

The Sixteenth President. — Abraham Lincoln was born in 
Hardin — now Larue — county, Kentucky, February 12, 1809. 
When he was seven years old, his parents removed to Indiana, 
settling near the present village of Gentryville. He helped his 
father on the farm and had but a year’s schooling. He was a 
diligent student, however, and an insatiate reader of instructive 
books. When sixteen years old, he was earning six dollars a 
month by managing a ferry across the Ohio. In 1830, the family 
removed to Illinois and put up a log house on the north fork of 
the Sangamon. Young Lincoln split rails and helped to clear 
the fifteen acres of land. With the help of some friends, he 
built a flat boat the following year, and took a load of goods to 
New Orleans. He served as a captain during the Black Hawk 
war, Jefferson Davis being also an officer. 

At the age of twenty-five, Lincoln was elected to the legis¬ 
lature, where he stayed for four tern>s. Having been admitted to 


BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION 315 

the bar, he was sent to congress in 1846. In the course of the 
following few years he became the acknowledged leader of the 
Republican party. In 1858 he contested the canvass of Stephen 
A. Douglas as United States senator, and they stumped the State 
together. The wit, ability, and power shown by Lincoln in this 
memorable debate attracted the attention of the country; and, 
though he was defeated in a State strongly democratic at that 
time, he acquired a national reputation, and as a result became 
the candidate of the Republican party for the presidency two 
years later. 

Lincoln was six feet four inches tall, very powerful, a famous 
wrestler, awkward and homely of countenance, sometimes coarse 
of speech, but with genuine humor and great kindness of heart. 
He was as true a patriot as Washington, clean in his morals, and 
with an integrity that was never questioned. No other man since 
the birth of our republic has ever held so crucial a position 
as he, and no one could have acquitted himself more perfectly. 

In these days of peace and security, it is hard to comprehend 
the fiery trials through which he had to pass. Yet his patience, 
his self-possession, his resources, his infinite tact, never failed 
him. The most striking attribute of this remarkable man was 
his intuitive perception of the right hour to do a thing. His 
friends grew impatient and found fault, his enemies jeered, and 
his closest adherents doubted, but he could neither be hurried, 
delayed, nor swerved from the course he had laid out for him¬ 
self. When the moment came to smite, he smote with the power 
of the avalanche: a day sooner or later would have been a day 
too soon or too late. 

Abraham Lincoln will always rank as one of the greatest Ameri¬ 
cans and Presidents, and, as the years roll on, his place in the 
affection and reverence of his countrymen becomes more fixed 
and more secure. 

TOPICS.—The Dred Scott decision; upon what it was based; what it 
was; how it was accepted by the North; John Brown; his fanatical scheme; 
his raid at Harper’s Ferry; how it all ended; history of the Atlantic cable; 


3i6 


A It I STORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


admission of Minnesota; its early history; admission of Oregon; its early 
history; admission of Kansas; the presidential election of i860; the secession 
of South Carolina; her steps toward securing her independence; Major Rob- 
bert Anderson; his action on the night of December 26, i860; the action 
of the secessionists; the firing on the Star of the West; the formation of the 
Southern Confederacy; the President and Vice President; Abraham Lincoln; 
his birth and childhood; his later career; his personal appearance; his char¬ 
acter; the great task imposed upon him; his most striking attribute; his place 
in American history. 

To the Pupil. — Complete the following skeleton history, with the most 
important events from the signing of the Constitution to the formation of the 
Southern Confederacy. 


SKELETON HISTORY OF PERIOD IV 


Name of Event 


Where it Took Place 


Date 


Signing of the Constitution 
Formation of the Northwestern 


Philadelphia, Pa. September 17, 1787 


Territory 

Election of Washington as first 


Congress, N. Y. 


1787 


President 


In ten of the States 


1788 













Part V 

THE PERIOD OF THE WAR FOR THE UNION 


CHAPTER XXXIII 
Lincoln’s administration. — 1861-1865 
Events of 1861 

HE Cause of the Civil War. — The cause of the 
Civil War may be given in a single word 
— slavery. There have been many ingenious 
and fine-spun theories to account for the ter¬ 
rific struggle between the two sections, but 
without African slavery there never would 
have been a battle. A compact country like 
ours, where the people are one, must either 
have slavery in every State or in none. 

It should be remembered that slavery, at one period in our 
history, was permitted everywhere. It was not abolished in New 
York until 1827, and prevailed throughout New England; but as 
time passed, it grew unprofitable in the North and gradually 
passed out of existence. In the South, however, where the chief 
industry was planting and the climate was softer, it flourished, 
especially after the invention of the cotton gin by Whitney, in 
1792, when the raising of cotton became enormously profitable. 

The Southerners clung to the institution, but the constitutional 
right of the slave owners to take their negroes into any State 
without losing ownership, and the authority to pursue the fugi- 

3i7 




3 18 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

tives and force them back to bondage, became unbearable to the 
North. The South strove to add slave territory to the Union, 
and the North fought against it. The feeling grew more intense, 
until all saw that slavery must be protected throughout the United 
States or cease altogether. 

Furthermore, the South believed in state sovereignty, or as it 
is popularly termed “State rights.” By that expression is meant 
that a citizen’s first allegiance is due to his State. The South¬ 
erners looked upon the Union as simply a league between the 
States, from which any one had the constitutional right to with¬ 
draw whenever the majority of the citizens of such State desired 
to do so. It followed, therefore, that when South Carolina 
seceded, her people had to go whither she chose to lead them. 
There were many people in the South who were devotedly 
attached to the Union, and they were deeply grieved when their 
States attempted to withdraw. Even Jefferson Davis strove to 
avert the terrible conflict by trying to persuade the three presi¬ 
dential candidates to unite upon one man. Had that been done, 
Lincoln would have been defeated and the war postponed; but, 
sooner or later, it had to come. The fateful hour, when the 
question of slavery or disunion should be settled for all time, 
was as sure to arrive as do the rising and 
setting of the sun. 

Inauguration of President Lincoln. — 
President Lincoln left his home in Spring- 
field, Illinois, February n, 1861. He 
was weighed down by the tremendous re¬ 
sponsibility that, in a greater or less de¬ 
gree, oppressed every thoughtful person 
in the country. He stopped in Philadel¬ 
phia on Washington’s birthday to assist 
in the raising of a flag over Independence 
Hall. Before he had reached the city, 
his friends learned of a plot in Baltimore to kill him. To 
avert the tragedy, he took an earlier train from Philadelphia 






LINCOLN>S ADMIN IS TR A TION 


319 

than was expected, and reached Washington on the morning of 
the 23d. 

There was fear that trouble would occur at the inauguration 
ceremonies on the 4th of March, but General Scott made so 
effective military preparations that noth¬ 
ing of that nature took place. Between 
one and two o’clock, Mr. Lincoln and 
Mr. Buchanan entered the senate chamber 
arm in arm. The inaugural was delivered 
in the presence of the supreme court, the 
senate and house of representatives, the 
foreign ministers, and many prominent 
citizens of the country. The new Presi¬ 
dent declared that the United States is 
not a league but a union; he denied the 
right of secession, and announced that he GENERAL winfield scott 
intended to occupy all the places belonging to the government 
and to collect the duties and the imposts. 

Capture of Fort Sumter.—After some hesitation, the govern¬ 
ment decided to send a fleet to Charleston harbor with provisions 
and supplies for Fort Sumter. Washington was overrun with 
spies and secession sympathizers, and the news was immediately 
telegraphed to Montgomery, Alabama, the seat of the Confederate 
government. That body telegraphed to General P. G. T. Beaure¬ 
gard (bo're-gard), commanding at Charleston, to demand the 
surrender of Major Anderson. This demand being made and 
refused, fire was opened upon the fort. The first gun of the war 
was discharged at half-past four o’clock on Friday morning, April 
12, from Fort Johnson. Edmund Ruffin, a white-haired old man, 
and a former friend of Calhoun, had come all the way from Vir¬ 
ginia to beg the privilege and is generally credited with firing 
the first gun. Some years later, when he saw the Union about to 
be restored, he committed suicide. General Beauregard, how¬ 
ever, asserted after the war that Captain George S. James fired 
the historical shot, after the privilege was offered to Roger A. 








320 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Pryor, who declined, because his State — Virginia — had not 
seceded. 

At seven o’clock, the first shot in defence of the Union was 
fired by Captain Abner Doubleday from Fort Sumter. The 
bombardment lasted thirty-four hours, during which the walls of 
the fort were badly injured and the main gates destroyed. The 
barracks caught fire, and to prevent the explosion of the maga¬ 
zine, most of the powder was thrown into the sea. Suffocating 
from the dense smoke, the ammunition exhausted, with no food 
except salt pork, and under the converging fire of forty-seven 
guns and mortars, Major Anderson was finally compelled to sur¬ 
render. The garrison, one hundred and twenty-nine in number, 
including laborers, were permitted to march out, after firing a 
salute of fifty guns to the flag before hauling it down. During 
this ceremony a Union soldier was accidentally killed, and his 
was the only death on either side from the opening of the bom¬ 
bardment to the surrender. 

Effect of the Fall of Fort Sumter. — The effect of this startling 
event was to fire the hearts of the North and South. The bells 
in Charleston were set ringing, when the surrender took place, 
and horsemen galloped furiously through the streets, shouting the 
“glorious news.” Men, women, and children partook of the 
frantic excitement, all looking upon the incident as the dawn of 
independence and the omen of the grandest career conceivable 
in the history of the Palmetto State. Ah, if something in the 
nature of the Roentgen ray could have penetrated the coming 
four years! 

The demand of the hot-headed Carolinians was now to be led 
against the Northern men who dared to think of conquering them. 
Hundreds, who had held Union sentiments up to that hour, 
seemed to be bitten by the madness that was raging everywhere, 
and became the most clamorous of secessionists. General 
Imboden in Virginia did not wait for his State to secede, but 
raised a company of ardent cavalrymen and offered them for ser¬ 
vice, before anybody had asked for help. It was the same in 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


321 


many other sections, and Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, 
and Arkansas made haste to join the States that had already 
seceded. 

The South had many sympathizers in the North, where the 
profound devotion to the Union led the people to go to the 
utmost length in the way of compromise and concession, in 
the hope of preventing secession. Hundreds of men who after¬ 
ward became prominent in the armies of the Union went so far 
that they were accused of truckling and timidity by those who, 
when the conflict did come, took care to keep away from danger. 
A leading Southerner summed up the situation in his reply to 
a proffer from the North: “If you should offer us a sheet of 
white paper upon which to write our terms for remaining in the 
Union, we would reject it, for we are determined to secede at 
all hazards.” 

The boom of Sumter’s cannon crystallized the Union sentiment 
in the North and dissipated all idea of compromise. Every one 
was now as eager to fight for his country as were the multitudes 
in the South to fight against it. President Lincoln called for 
seventy-five thousand volunteers to put down the rebellion, and 
three hundred thousand rushed forward with a demand for a place 
in the ranks. Congress was summoned to meet on the 4th of 

J ul y- 

Virginia the Great Battle-field of the War. — It was evident that 
Virginia was to be the great battle-field in the coming struggle. 
Richmond was made the capital of the Confederacy, and in the 
course of a few weeks the South had fifty thousand men under 
arms in the Old Dominion. The Confederates seized the armory 
at Harper’s Ferry and the Norfolk navy yard, and preparations 
for war were active in every quarter. 

Attack on Union Troops in Baltimore. — Washington, the capital 
of the country, was in imminent peril of capture, and Northern 
troops were hurried to its defence' The 6th Massachusetts regi¬ 
ment, while passing through Baltimore, was attacked by a mob, 
and three were killed. Then the soldiers opened fire, shot down 


Y 


322 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


nine, and wounded many others. It was a noteworthy fact that 
this affray took place on the 19th of April, the anniversary of the 



battle of Lexington. Enough troops soon reached Washington 
to remove all danger. 

Preliminary Conflicts.—Arlington Heights and Alexandria 
were seized by Union troops on May 24. Colonel Ellsworth, of 



















LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


323 


Ellsworth’s Zouaves, clambered to the roof of a hotel where he 
saw a secession flag flying, and tore it down. The landlord shot 
him dead as he was descending, and he in turn was killed by 
one of the Zouaves. Fort Monroe had been garrisoned by General 
B. F. Butler, who sent an expedition against Big Bethel, but it 
was grossly mismanaged. The Union troops fired into each 
other, and ten were killed before the mistake was discovered. 
Then they attacked the Confederates, and were repulsed with 
severe loss. 

Union Disaster at Manassas, or Bull Run. —The North became 
impatient at the delay in marching against Richmond, where the 
Confederate congress had been summoned to meet on the 4th of 
July. The days and weeks were passing and nothing was done. 
The cry, “ On to Richmond! ” was raised and repeated times 
without number. Since the term of the three months’ men was 
nearly ended, it was decided to make an advance upon the Con¬ 
federate capital. 

General Irvin McDowell, with about thirty thousand troops, 
set out to attack the main Confederate army, under General 
Beauregard, at Bull Run, near Manassas Junction. The forces 
were nearly equal. The two armies met on Sunday, July 21. 
The issue of the battle for a long time was doubtful. It was 
gradually trending toward a Union victory, when, at the critical 
moment, Kirby Smith arrived with reinforcements. He was a 
subordinate of General J. E. Johnston, who was on the ground 
helping Beauregard direct the battle. The report that reinforce¬ 
ments had arrived threw the Union troops into a panic, and they 
fled in confusion to Washington. The expectation was general 
that the Confederates would pursue them and capture the city, 
but they were in no condition to do so. They had come so 
perilously near defeat that they were quite content to stay where 
they were. 

The Confederate victory at Manassas, however, was a misfort¬ 
une to the Southern Confederacy and the best thing that could 
have happened for the cause of the Union. It gave to the South 



324 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


a fatal self-confidence. Scores of soldiers, confident that their 
independence was already secured, left for home. Even those 
that had doubted the issue were sure that the North, after so 
fearful a check, would abandon the effort to subjugate the South. 

The confidence in the North, previous to the first shock of 
arms, was as baseless as in the South. The boast was frequent 
that one well-equipped regiment could march from Washington 
to the Gulf of Mexico, that the South would run at the first smell 
of powder, and the whole flurry would be over within ninety days. 
It was strange that nearly every one believed the struggle was to 
be brief and almost bloodless. Even the leaders, North and 
South, thought so. A small number here and there compre¬ 
hended the gigantic nature of the struggle that had opened, but 
they were so few that they were unnoticed in the multitude. 

The mistake was mutual. People forgot that this was to be a 
war between Americans, a meeting of “Greek with Greek that 
the most skilful generals and the bravest soldiers were arrayed 
against one another, and the world was 
to witness battles such as have rarely 
been seen in history. So it was that the 
first shock of arms at Manassas opened 
the eyes of the North to the prodigious 
task before it. 

Hard fighting, much trial and loss, 
with more than one repulse, were to be 
the cost of the triumph of the Union. 
Instead of shrinking from the vast sacri¬ 
fice, the resolution became set to strain 

GENERAL MCCLELLAN , . 

every nerve until the victory was accom¬ 
plished. Congress voted half a billion dollars and half a million 
men to put down the rebellion. General George B. McClellan, 
who had done brilliant work in West Virginia, and who was a 
fine organizer of troops, was appointed to the command of the 
Army of the Potomac. He was very popular and was called by 
many the “Young Napoleon,” who was to lead the armies of the 





LINCOLN'S ADM INIS TRA TION 325 

Union to victory. He set to work to drill and prepare the 
troops for an advance. 

Disaster at Ball’s Bluff. — On the 21st of October, a Federal 
reconnoitring detachment at Ball’s Bluff was surprised and 
overwhelmed by a force of Confederates, who drove them into 
the river, where many were drowned, and others, who did not 
surrender, were bayoneted. The Union loss amounted to fully 
a thousand, among whom was Colonel E. D. Baker, senator from 
Oregon. 

The War in the West. —The fighting was not confined to Vir¬ 
ginia. There was much of it in the West, where the results were 
favorable to the Confederates. On the 10th of August, General 
Lyon attacked a strong Confederate force at Wilson’s Creek, 
Missouri. His men were defeated and he was killed. Colonel 
Mulligan made a desperate defence against General Sterling 
Price at Lexington, in the same State, but was obliged to sur¬ 
render. Price was driven into Springfield by Fremont, who 
issued a proclamation freeing the slaves. For this presumption 
he was superseded by General Hunter, who withdrew with the 
army to St. Louis. Then General Halleck superseded Hunter 
and forced Price into Arkansas. 

The War on the Coast. — In the latter part of August, a joint 
naval and military expedition captured the forts at Hatteras 
Inlet, North Carolina. In November, another expedition secured 
the forts at Port Royal entrance, South Carolina. The Con¬ 
federate government had issued letters of marque and reprisal, 
authorizing ships upon the high seas to prey upon Northern 
shipping. A number of these succeeded in running the block¬ 
ade that President Lincoln had proclaimed, and did much 
damage to national commerce. 

The “Trent” Affair. — England and France were pleased at 
the prospect of the disruption of the Union. They declared 
their neutrality, but acknowledged the Confederates as belliger¬ 
ents, while our government wished them to be looked upon as 
insurgents. The South was sure, after the battle of Manassas, 


326 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



A BLOCKADE RUNNER 


that England would recognize the Confederacy, especially as she 
was suffering because her supply of cotton was largely cut off. 
Messrs. Mason and Slidell were appointed as commissioners to 
England and France, respectively. They succeeded in running 
the blockade, and at Havana took passage on the British mail 
steamer Trent. The next day, November 8, Captain Charles 














CAPTURE OF MASON AND SLIDELL 



















328 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Wilkes, of the United States steamer San Jacinto, stopped the 
Trent , and took Mason and Slidell back to the United States. 
England began preparing for war, since the proceeding was a 
clear violation of her rights. Our government saw its error, dis¬ 
avowed the act, returned the prisoners, and war was averted. 

TOPICS. —The cause of the war for the Union; why such should be the 
fact; why slavery disappeared from the North, but was retained in the South; 
state sovereignty or “ State rights ”; what would have prevented the election of 
Abraham Lincoln; his journey from his home; the incident in Philadelphia; 
his inauguration; his inaugural; the decision of the government regarding 
Fort Sumter; secession spies in Washington; the bombardment of Fort 
Sumter; effect of the capture of Fort Sumter; the excitement in Charleston; 
effect elsewhere through the South; the secession of other States; their de¬ 
termination to withdraw from the Union; the effect of the fall of Sumter upon 
the North; President Lincoln’s call for volunteers; the great battle-field of 
the war; action of the Confederates; the attack on the Union troops in Bal¬ 
timore; the affair at Arlington Heights; Colonel Ellsworth; the disaster at 
Big Bethel; the cry of “On to Richmond”; the Union advance under Gen¬ 
eral McDowell; the Union defeat; the effect of the battle upon the South; 
the confidence in the North previous to the war; the great mistake that was 
made on both sides; the lesson of Manassas to the North; action of congress; 
General McClellan; Union disaster at Ball’s Bluff; fighting in the West; bat¬ 
tle of Wilson’s Creek, Missouri; at Lexington in the same State; Fremont’s 
emancipation proclamation; the naval and military expedition against the 
forts at Hatteras Inlet; the Confederate privateers; the Trent affair. 


CHAPTER XXXIV 


Lincoln’s administration. — 1861-1865 ( continued ) 



Events of 1862 

|HE Work to be done. — Thus far the war had 
been conducted in a disjointed way. The 
result gave the Confederates great confi¬ 
dence. In order to bring them back to the 
Union, several steps were necessary. One 
was the overthrow of the defiant army in 
Virginia and the capture of Richmond, the 
capital of the Confederacy. Another was 
the opening of the Mississippi, and a third the maintenance of 
an effective blockade. Could all be accomplished, the South 
would be forced to succumb. Keeping these facts in mind, we 
shall better understand the prodigious struggle as it progressed. 

The War in the Southwest. —The Confederates were more suc¬ 
cessful than the Unionists at the beginning of the war. In the 
Southwest they held a powerfully fortified line from Columbus to 
Cumberland Gap. If the centre could be broken, they would 
have to evacuate Columbus and leave the road open to Nashville. 
Commodore Foote, with a fleet of gunboats, and General Grant, 
with a strong land force, moved from Cairo (ca'ro) against Fort 
Henry on the Tennessee. The bombardment was opened Feb¬ 
ruary 6, and the fort soon surrendered. Before the garrisqn 
could be cut off, they escaped by land to Fort Donelson, twelve 
miles distant, on the Cumberland. The fleet now returned to 
the Ohio and ascended the Cumberland, while Grant went across 
by land to help in the attack on Fort Donelson. The weather 

3 2 9 



330 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



ATTACK ON FORT DONELSON 

was frightfully cold, and many of the men froze to death. The 
attack was kept up for three days, when the severe fire repulsed 

the Union fleet, Commodore Foote 
receiving a severe wound. The 
Confederates tried to cut their way 
out, but after a fierce fight were 
defeated. Grant was reinforced, 
and was preparing for the final 
assault when, on February 16, the 
fort surrendered with fifteen thou¬ 
sand men. The victory caused 
wide rejoicing in the North, and 
was the beginning of Grant’s great 
popularity. 

The Confederates were now 
compelled to establish a new line 
of defence for the Southwestern 
States. Beauregard, at Jackson, 
Tennessee, formed the centre, 












LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRA TION 


331 


Polk, at New Madrid, the left, and Albert Sidney Johnston, at 
Murfreesboro’, the right. This new formation was an abandon¬ 
ment of Kentucky, and left the upper portion of Tennessee open 
to the Unionists. Early in March, General Curtis defeated the 
Confederate general, Van Dorn, at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. 

The Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing.—'The Federals 
ascended the Tennessee to Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing. Gen¬ 
eral Grant assumed command, and General Buell at Nashville 
was ordered to reinforce him. Before he could do so, the 
Confederates attacked Grant in large numbers and with great 
impetuosity. Albert 
Sidney Johnston, one 
of the ablest of mili¬ 
tary leaders, strove 
with tremendous vigor 
to drive him and his 
soldiers into the river. 

The attack, which was 
made on Sunday, April 
6, was a surprise to 
Grant, and came peril¬ 
ously near overwhelm¬ 
ing him. On the edge 
of the river, he gath¬ 
ered his shattered regiments for the last stand. He held his 
enemy at bay until Buell arrived. During the night the Union¬ 
ists were re-formed, and the fighting was renewed the next day. 
It ended with the retreat of the Confederates. 

The battle of Shiloh was the second great battle of the war. 
The Union loss was 1735 killed, 7882 wounded, and 4044 miss¬ 
ing. The Confederate loss was 1728 killed, 8012 wounded, and 
959 missing. During the battle General Johnston had his leg 
shattered, and died almost immediately. 

Capture of Island No. 10 and Federal Occupation of Corinth. — 
The Confederates, on retreating from Columbus, took position 





332 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


at Island No. io. Commodore Foote bombarded them for sev¬ 
eral weeks, but without effect. General Pope captured the bat¬ 
teries opposite, and made ready to attack the fortifications in the 
rear, whereupon they surrendered April 7. Beauregard fell back 
to Corinth, followed by General Halleck, who was now in com¬ 
mand of the Union forces. The Confederates evacuated Corinth, 
which was occupied by General Halleck May 30. 

Occupation of Kentucky and Tennessee by the Federals. — Previ¬ 
ous to the occupation of Corinth by Halleck, the Union gunboats, 
May 10, attacked and defeated the Confederate ironclads in front 
of Memphis. The city surrendered, and the Memphis and 
Charleston Railway was secured. This gained Kentucky and 
western Tennessee for the Federals, who now held a strong line 
reaching from Memphis nearly to Chattanooga, which was the 
objective point of General Buell. 

The Battle of Perryville. — The (Confederate commander, 
General Bragg, at Chattanooga, moved swiftly toward Louisville, 
with the purpose of breaking this investment. General Buell 
had fallen back to Nashville, and he started on a race with Bragg 
for the Ohio River. Buell outran his antagonist, and arriving a 
day ahead, and receiving large reinforcements, marched against 
Bragg. They encountered at Perryville, October 8, and a terrific 
battle was fought. Bragg retreated in the night, taking with him 
his immense wagon train. This action practically cleared Ken¬ 
tucky of Confederate troops. Buell was superseded by Rosecrans 
on the 30th of October. 

Confederate Repulse at Corinth. — The reinforcements received 
by Buell had been sent by Grant. Generals Van Dorn and Price 
advanced against Corinth, whereupon Grant, hoping to capture 
Price and then get back to Corinth ahead of Van Dorn, ordered 
Rosecrans to attack Iuka. A sharp engagement took place Sep¬ 
tember 19, but Price eluded Rosecrans and joined Van Dorn. 
Then the two united their forces and attacked Rosecrans, now 
in his intrenchments at Corinth. The assault was a brave one, 
but was repulsed. 


LINCOLN ’ 5 AD MINIS TEA TION 


333 


Battle of Murfreesboro’. — No fighting of account took place in 
this section until near the close of the year. Rosecrans gathered 
his forces at Nashville, from which point he advanced to meet 
Bragg, who was marching northward with a strong column. The 
two armies met at Murfreesboro’, where a terrific battle opened 
on the last day of the year. At the close of the first day, the 
Confederates had the advantage. But for the magnificent ability 
of General George H. Thomas, the Union army would have been 
destroyed. The soldiers were so exhausted that little fighting 
took place on the second day, but it was renewed with tremendous 
fury on the third. A part of the left wing of the Union army 
was driven back, but the Confederates in turn were forced to 
give way. In the end Bragg retreated, and Rosecrans occupied 
Murfreesboro’. This engagement was the bloodiest that had yet 
been fought, the killed and wounded on each side numbering 
about nine thousand. 

Siege of Vicksburg.—While these stirring events were going 
on, Grant was hammering at Vicksburg, whose fall was necessary 
before the Father of Waters could be opened to commerce. 
Grant’s purpose was to advance along the Mississippi Central 
Railway, while Sherman descended the river from Memphis with 
Commodore Porter’s gunboats. The campaign was spoiled by 
Van Dorn, who destroyed Grant’.s depot of supplies at Holly 
Springs. Not knowing of this disaster, Sherman advanced to 
the mouth of the Yazoo and made his attack north of Vicksburg, 
but was repulsed. 

The “Monitor” and the “Merrimac.” — At the beginning of 
hostilities, in 1861, the Unionists burned the Norfolk navy yard 
to prevent its falling into the hands of the secessionists. The 
steam frigate Merrimac , then the finest in the service, was scut¬ 
tled and sunk. Some months later the Confederates raised her, 
razeed her deck, fitted her with an iron prow, and erected a roof 
of railway iron, which sloped at an angle of forty-five degrees. 
They renamed her the Virginia, though she will always be known 
as the Merrimac . 


334 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


On the 8th of March, at about noon, this monster, her iron 
ribs daubed with tallow, steamed slowly out from Hampton Roads, 
under convoy of several gunboats. She headed toward the sloop 
of-war Cumberland , which opened upon her with her heaviest 
broadsides. Then took place what was never before seen in 
naval warfare. The enormous cannon-balls, striking the mas- 


DESTRUCTION OF THE CUMBERLAND 



sive greased metal,' spun hundreds of feet up in the air and 
splashed harmlessly back into the water. The great “ sea-hog ” 
shed the terrible missiles as if they were so many paper wads. 

The iron snout of the hideous monster rooted a hole under 
the bow of the Cumberland , through which the water poured like 
a raceway. The heroic crew continued working the useless guns, 
with the red flag, meaning “no surrender,” fluttering defiantly 












LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRA TION 


335 



aloft but the Cumberland was fast sinking, and soon went down. 
With her mangled hull resting on the bottom, and the dead 
within and about her, the Stars and Stripes still waved from her 
masthead above the surface. 

The captain of the frigate Congress , seeing the fate of the 
Cumberland , ran his vessel ashore, but the ironclad, taking posi- 


AN EXCITED CABINET MEETING 

tion astern, raked her until the helpless crew were forced to sur¬ 
render. The steamship Minnesota , hastening to-the relief of her 
consorts, ran aground and received several shots from the Mer- 
rimac , without a chance of striking back. Having wrought so 
much destruction, the Merrimac steamed to Norfolk, intending 
to return on the morrow and complete her awful work. 

The news caused rejoicing in Richmond and consternation in 
Washington and throughout the North. Many believed that, 




336 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


after destroying the vessels at Fortress Monroe, the Merrimac 
would capture Washington, and perhaps lay Philadelphia and New 
York under tribute. President Lincoln called a cabinet meeting 
upon receiving the news, and Secretary Stanton expressed his 
fears of the worst. 

Meanwhile, another ironclad, only an infant as compared with 
the Merrimac , was steaming down the coast from New York. 
The crew were nearly suffocated with gas, the boat leaked badly, 
and more than once it looked as if the Monitor would go down 
with all on board. But she struggled forward and entered Hamp¬ 
ton Roads on the night after the visit of the Merrimac , and took 
position for the fight of the morrow. 

The Merrimac carried ten guns, eight at the sides, one at the 
bow, and one at the stern, and fired shells. The Monitor , which 
was the work of the Swedish inventor, John Ericsson, was an 
ironclad, with a single turret and two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns, 
firing solid shot. She was only one-fifth the size of the Merrimac , 
and has been well compared in appearance to a cheese-box on a 
raft. 

At daylight the following morning, the Merrimac appeared, 
accompanied by two of the gunboats. Before she could reach 
any t>f the helpless vessels, the Monitor darted out from behind 
the Minnesota and headed for the formidable monster. When 
within a hundred yards, the Monitor fired. The Merrimac 
replied, and the firing became quite rapid for a time, the space 
between the combatants varying from fifty to two hundred yards. 
Most of the Merrimac's shot glanced over the low deck of the 
Monitor , but a number struck the turret and pilot-house. The 
noise was so overwhelming that the gunners were almost deafened. 
The Merrimac made five attempts to run down her agile antago¬ 
nist, who dodged her every time. Lieutenant Worden, com¬ 
manding the Monitor , was blinded by a shell, which, striking 
the sight-hole in the forward part of the pilot-house, lifted the 
iron plate in front of him. Lieutenant Green took command, 
but the Merrunac now steamed laboriously back to Norfolk. 



THE MONITOR AND THE MERRIMAC 











338 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

The effect of this naval battle cannot be overestimated. Had 
not the Monitor providentially arrived as she did, there is no 
reason to doubt that the Merrimac would have placed Washington 
at its mercy, to say nothing of the Northern cities, and would 
have compelled a recognition of the independence of the Con¬ 
federacy. The engagement ushered in the era of ironclads and 


BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND 

ended that of wooden ships. The navies of all the nations in 
the world must henceforth be sheathed in armor. 

The Merrimac and Monitor , which figured so prominently in 
the history of naval warfare, perished long ago. Upon the 
evacuation of Norfolk some months after the fight, the Merrimac 
was blown up, and still later the Monitor foundered off Cape 
Hatteras. 

Exploits of the Navy. —The navy did effective service during 
the second year of the war. Roanoke Island was captured on 








LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


339 


the 8th of February; Newbern, North Carolina, March 14; and 
Beaufort, April 25. Early in the year, a formidable expedition 
was fitted out 
against New Or¬ 
leans. Captain 
Farragut had 
command of a 
large fleet, carry¬ 
ing a strong land 
force under Gen¬ 
eral Butler. Sev¬ 
eral days’ bom¬ 
bardment failing 
to reduce the 
forts below the city, Farragut, under a furious fire, ran his ships 
past them. He was compelled to meet fire-ships, an attack from 
the ironclad Manassas , and the cannonade of all the forts; but 
he overcame every obstacle, and, anchoring abreast of the city, 
received its surrender April 25. His next exploit was to pass 
the batteries at Vicksburg and join the fleet above the city. 

The Campaign against Richmond. — The 
most difficult of all the campaigns was 
that against Richmond. The North be¬ 
came impatient with McClellan’s tardi¬ 
ness. No one doubted his ability, but, 
though a dashing leader in West Vir¬ 
ginia at the opening of the war, he grew 
over-cautious when he assumed command 
of the Army of the Potomac, and was 
weighed down by his responsibility. 

In the month of April, this grand host, 
one hundred thousand strong, started on 
its campaign against the capital of the Confederacy. Landing 
at Fort Monroe,.it first marched toward Yorktown, where Gen¬ 
eral Magruder, with a Confederate division of five thousand 



ADMIRAL FARRAGUT 











340 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


men, was defending a line a dozen 
miles in length. Instead of tramp¬ 
ling this insignificant force under 
foot, the Union commander halted 
his army in the pestilential swamps 
and began a siege. Miles of cor¬ 
duroy roads were built; heavy 
guns were brought from Washing¬ 
ton, and the open fields were filled 
with intrenchments. The delay 
gave General Johnston time to re¬ 
inforce the defenders. Finally 
McClellan was ready to open fire, 
whereupon Johnston withdrew to¬ 
ward Richmond. 

The strong guard left at the 
forts at Williamsburg to cover the 
withdrawal of the baggage train 
was attacked by Hooker. A furious battle followed, with severe 
loss on both sides. The Confederates evacuated Williamsburg 
at night, and McClellan pursued until within the city intrench¬ 
ments and only seven miles from Richmond, whose spires and 
tall buildings were in plain sight. The people were thrown into 
a panic, and the Confederate congress hastily adjourned. 

At this critical juncture, McClellan was startled to learn that 
his communication by rail with White House Landing, his base 
of supplies, was threatened by a Confederate force at Hanover 
Court House. Not only that, but General McDowell, on his 
way from Fredericksburg with thirty thousand reinforcements, 
was endangered. Hanover Court House was captured by General 
Fitz John Porter, and all seemed to be going well, when General 
Johnston created a terrifying diversion by sending Stonewall 
Jackson up the Shenandoah valley to threaten Washington. This 
deprived McClellan of the reinforcements upon which he relied. 

In obedience to orders, Jackson hurried off to the Shenandoah 







LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


341 


valley. Reinforced by Ewell, he marched against Banks at 
Strasburg and drove him across the Potomac. The government, 
alarmed for the safety of Washington, took military possession 
of the railways and called upon the governors of the Northern 
States for militia with which to defend the capital. McDowell 
at Fredericksburg, Banks at Harper’s Ferry, and Fremont at 
Franklin, were ordered to capture the terrible Jackson. They 
did their best, but Fremont was defeated at Cross Keys, June 8. 
Shields was swept aside the next day at Port Republic, and, 
burning his bridges behind him, Jackson hurried back to help 
Johnston on the Peninsula. 

On the 31st of May and the 1st of June, 

IVJcClellan threw his left wing across the 
Chickahominy. A violent storm prevented 
the passage of the entire army, and John¬ 
ston hurled his forces against the left wing. 

General Sumner succeeded in holding the 
enemy in check and preventing the sepa¬ 
ration of the army. In this battle General 
Johnston was severely wounded by an ex¬ 
ploding shell. General Robert E. Lee suc¬ 
ceeded him in command, and held it to the close of the war. 
The attack on the Union army was renewed the next day, but 
was repulsed. 

General Lee now assumed the aggressive. General J. E. B. 
Stuart made a cavalry raid around the Army of the Potomac and 
burned the supplies along the railway connecting with the White 
House. McClellan was still pressing on, when he received news 
that Stonewall Jackson was at Hanover Court House and the 
Federal communications with White House were in peril. 
McClellan decided to change his base of supplies from the York 
River to the James. He was attacked by Lee at Mechanicsville, 
June 26, and, repelling the assault, fell back to Gaines’ Mill. 
Porter held the bridges over the Chickahominy until night, when 
he withdrew to the south bank and burned them. Lee attempted 



GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE 


342 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


on the same night to cut off McClellan’s retreat. A severe battle 
was fought the following day at Savage Station, and the Federals 
continued their retreat. Another Confederate attack was made 
at Fraser’s Farm, but the Union lines were not broken. 

The shattered Army of the Potomac turned at bay at Malvern 
Hill, where they had the help of the gunboats in repelling the 
repeated attacks of Lee. He made a number of desperate 
assaults, but was repulsed with great loss. McClellan withdrew 
undisturbed to Harrison’s Landing. 

Thus the campaign against Richmond ended again with failure. 
It was a severe discouragement to the North, but President Lin¬ 
coln issued a call for three hundred thousand more men and made 
preparations to push the war with greater vigor than ever. 

Lee’s Invasion of the North. — General Lee now marched 
against Washington. The dissatisfaction with McClellan was so 
deep that he was ordered to transfer his army to Acquia Creek 
and place it under the command of General Pope, who was on 
the Rapidan and in charge of the defences of Washington. Lee 
decided to crush Pope before McClellan could reach him. Hold¬ 
ing him in his front, therefore, he sent Stonewall Jackson around 
the right flank of the Union army. Pope turned upon Jackson, 
confident of overwhelming him, but he was assailed by the whole 
Confederate army, routed, and driven turbulently behind the 
fortifications of Washington. 

In the general consternation, McClellan was recalled to the 
command. Pie started in pursuit of Lee, who had crossed the 
Potomac and entered Maryland. The rear of the Confederate 
army was overtaken at South Mountain, and the Federals entered 
the valley beyond. Lee drew in his scattered forces, a portion 
of which had captured Harper’s Ferry, with eleven thousand 
Union prisoners, and met McClellan in battle at Antietam Creek, 
near Sharpsburg, September 16 and 17. The engagement, which 
was a drawn battle, was one of the bloodiest of the war. On the 
night of the 17th, Lee recrossed the Potomac without molestation, 
the Army of the Potomac re-entering Virginia a few weeks later. 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


343 


Burnside’s Disastrous Leadership. — McClellan was now super¬ 
seded by General Burnside. He crossed the Rappahannock at 
Fredericksburg and attacked the Confederate works (December 
13). He hurled his brave men against the fortifications until 
the loss amounted to twelve hundred dead, ten thousand wounded, 
and three thousand missing. Then the hopeless attempt was 
abandoned, and the Union army recrossed the Rappahannock. 

Indian Troubles in Minnesota. — During the summer of 1862, 
the Sioux Indians in Minnesota committed many shocking mas¬ 
sacres. Colonel H. H. Sibley was sent against the savages with 
a sufficient force to defeat them and take many prisoners. The 
ring-leaders were tried, and thirty-nine of them, having been 
found guilty of horrible atrocities, were hanged at Mankato. 

TOPICS.—The war as heretofore conducted; the work to be done; the 
position in the Southwest; capture of Fort Henry; of Fort Donelson; new 
Confederate line of defence; what the new formation was; battle of Shiloh 
or Pittsburg Landing; the losses on both sides; capture of Island No. 10; 
-occupation and evacuation of Corinth by the Confederates; occupation of 
Kentucky and Tennessee by the Federals; the race for Louisville; battle 
of Perryville; Confederate repulse at Corinth; battle of Murfreesboro’; hero¬ 
ism of General Thomas. 

Siege of Vicksburg; Grant’s plan of campaign; progress of the siege; 
building of the Merrimac; her work on the 8th of March; the news in 
Richmond and in Washington; the coming of the Monitor; her armament; 
John Ericsson; return of the Merrimac ; the great battle between the Merri¬ 
mac and the Monitor; what became of each of them; capture of Roanoke 
Island; of Newbern and Beaufort; Farragut’s capture of New Orleans; the 
campaign against Richmond; McClellan’s tardiness; siege of Yorktown; bat¬ 
tle of Williamsburg; near approach to Richmond; Stonewall Jackson; his 
work in the Shenandoah valley; the fighting on the Chickahominy; wound¬ 
ing of General Johnston; assumption of the aggressive by General Lee; raid 
by General Stuart; McClellan’s change of base; the fighting which fol¬ 
lowed; the final stand at Malvern Hill; McClellan’s withdrawal to Harri¬ 
son’s Landing; failure of the campaign; Lee’s invasion of the North; the 
crushing of Pope; recall of General McClellan to the command; the battle 
at Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg; retreat of Lee; the successor of Gen¬ 
eral McClellan; the disaster at Fredericksburg; the Indian troubles in Min¬ 
nesota. 


CHAPTER XXXV 

Lincoln’s administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ) 


Events of 1863 


TRIKING off the Chains of Slavery. — For 

months President Lincoln was harried by 
persons of opposite views. Some of his most 
devoted supporters insisted that he should 
issue, without delay, a proclamation declar¬ 
ing slavery at an end throughout the country. 
Others, equally patriotic, feared that the step 
would be premature and ruinous. With that 
faculty of knowing the right hour to do a 



thing, which in President Lincoln was an attribute of genius, he 
issued his emancipation proclamation in September, directly 
after the battle of Antietam, with the provision that it was to go 
into effect on the 1st of the following January. Thus by a stroke 
of the pen, as may be said, four million human beings were set 
free, and the foul blot of slavery on the American continent was 
wiped out forever. 

The Campaign in the Southwest. — As before, we shall first 
study the military movements in the Southwest. The great battle 
of Murfreesboro’ was raging when 1862 went out, and it ended, 
on the second day of the new year, with the retreat of General 
Bragg and the occupation of Murfreesboro’ by Rosecrans. That 
officer did little until June, when he marched with his army 
against Bragg. In order to save his communications, Bragg 
evacuated Chattanooga early in September. Rosecrans was fol¬ 
lowing at a leisurely pace when Bragg, who had received heavy 


344 


LINCOLN'S ADM INIS TRA TION 


345 


reinforcements, wheeled about and unexpectedly attacked Rose- 
crans. The Union commander saved his army, which was strung 
out for a distance of forty miles, and the real struggle took place 
at Chickamauga, just across the line in Georgia. 

The Battle of Chickamauga. —This battle opened on the 19th 
of September. General Longstreet had been sent to the South¬ 
west by General Lee, who saw the need of his help in the direc¬ 
tion of military movements. At the close of the first day, neither 
army had gained an advantage. On the second, at about noon, 
a movement to aid the left wing of the Union army broke the 
general line. Quick to take advantage of the opening, Long- 
street threw a division into the gap and forced the Union right 
and centre from the field. 

It was the crisis for the Union army. If the left wing yielded, 
Chickamauga would be an overwhelming disaster. If it held its 
ground, the army would be saved. Fortunately, the dauntless 
Thomas commanded there and his soldiers were as brave as he. 
Longstreet understood the stake at issue, and drove the whole 
Confederate army, with mighty energy, against the iron wall. It 
was done again and again, but Thomas and his heroes never 
flinched. All through the fearful afternoon, they beat back the 
charging hosts until, at nightfall, the attempt was abandoned. 
Thus Thomas well earned the title of the “Rock of Chicka¬ 
mauga ” by his unsurpassed valor. At night, having gathered 
several hundred prisoners, he fell back to Chattanooga. 

The Battle above the Clouds. — Grant was so alarmed by the 
situation that he hastened to Chattanooga, where Thomas, having 
succeeded Rosecrans, was holding fast, though the city was so 
invested by the Confederates that his army was in danger of star¬ 
vation. Hooker was brought from the Army of the Potomac 
with two corps, and Sherman hurried forward with a strong body 
of troops from Iuka. With the help of these reinforcements the 
communications of Thomas were re-established. He seized 
Orchard Knob on the 23d of November. The next day Hooker 
ordered his men to attack the fortifications on Lookout Moun- 



346 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



THE ROCK OF CHICKAMAUGA 










LINCOLN'S AD MINIS TRA TI ON 


34 7 


tain, but they were directed to stop upon reaching the elevated 
plateau. When this was attained, however, the enthusiastic sol¬ 
diers could not be held back. They kept right on and swept the 
Confederates before them. At so lofty a height was this engage¬ 
ment fought that it is known as the “battle above the clouds.” 

The following morning, when the fighting was renewed, Grant 
watched every movement. Sherman attacked the northern flank, 
and Hooker charged Missionary Ridge on the south. The Con- 



CHATTANOOGA 


federate line was necessarily weakened in front of Orchard Knob, 
in order to repel these assaults. Grant directed Thomas to 
charge the centre, and after capturing the rifle pits at the foot of 
Missionary Ridge to halt and re-form. The veterans overran the 
pits and then, forgetting the orders to halt, dashed up the moun¬ 
tain side with irrestrainable enthusiasm. Grant was so thrilled 
by the sight that he ordered a charge along the whole line. It 
was executed with the same ardor as before. The Federals vied 
with one another in reaching the crest, which they attained with¬ 
out firing a shot. The guns were captured in a twinkling and 
turned on the flying enemy. 


348 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

The victory was complete. Bragg’s army was routed and the 
Union occupation of Chattanooga secured. Not only that but 
East Tennessee, where the Union sentiment was strong, was 
liberated and the path opened to the heart of the Confederacy. 

The Siege of Knoxville raised. — Burnside did so effective work 
in Tennessee that Longstreet went thither to check him. He 
succeeded in shutting up Burnside in Knoxville, where it would 
have gone ill with him if Grant had not sent Sherman to his 

relief. Before he arrived, Long- 
street attacked Burnside, Novem¬ 
ber 29, but was repulsed. A few 
days later he withdrew upon the 
approach of Sherman. 

The Campaign in the West — Fall 
of Vicksburg. — The Mississippi 
could never be opened until the 
formidable batteries at Vicksburg 
were silenced. Grant set himself 
to do this, and had been at it for 
months. The Confederate bat¬ 
teries extended for miles along 
the river, and convinced that the 
place could not be taken from the 
north, Grant moved his army down 
the west side of the river, while 
his gunboats ran past the works. 
It was a fearful gauntlet, but it was accomplished successfully, 
and the army was then taken across. 

While Pemberton was advancing to the aid of Vicksburg, he 
was attacked and defeated at Port Gibson, May 1, by Grant. 
Learning that General Johnston was marching to the assistance 
of Pemberton, Grant pushed his army between the two forces. 
Thus he shut in Pemberton beyond the reach of help and forced 
back Johnston by defeating him at Jackson, May 14. 

By this time, it was clear that Vicksburg could be taken only 





SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG 






























350 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


by siege. Grant, therefore, besieged it. The garrison held out 
with great bravery and underwent much suffering, but their situa¬ 
tion daily grew worse until the hour came when it was a choice 
between submission and starvation. The former alternative 
was chosen, and, on the 4th of July, General Pemberton surren¬ 
dered his garrison of more than twenty thousand men, with a 
vast amount of arms and ammunition. The fall of Vicksburg 
compelled the surrender of Port Hudson. This opened the Mis¬ 
sissippi from its source to the Gulf. One of the great tasks 
necessary to a restoration of the Union had been accomplished. 
The fall of Vicksburg, it will be remembered, took place before 
most of the events already told in this chapter. 

The War on the Water.—An attempt was made to reduce 
Charleston in the month of April. Admiral Dupont directed the 
naval attack, from which much was expected. The Confederate 
preparations, however, were too complete and the ironclads 
were driven off (April 7). A landing was afterward ljiade upon 
Morris Island by General Gillmore, who, in time, battered down 
Fort Sumter and captured Fort Wagner. 

Meanwhile, the Confederate privateers were playing havoc 
with the Northern commerce. Many swift-sailing vessels suc¬ 
ceeded in running the blockade, carrying out cotton and bringing 
back much-needed supplies. With a sea coast of three thousand 
miles, it was beyond the power of all the navies in the world to 
close every avenue of ingress and egress. The most famous of 
the Confederate privateers was the Alabama , under the com¬ 
mand of Captain Semmes. England lent her aid in the building 
of these boats, for, as we have learned, she would have been 
pleased to see the Union destroyed. The Alabama sailed from 
Birkenhead, July 28, 1862, and for two years inflicted damage 
beyond estimate upon the commerce of the United States. 

On the first day of the year, the Confederates recaptured Gal¬ 
veston. The steamer Harriet Lane was attacked by several gun-* 
boats, her commander killed, and several of the crew slain. The 
Union troops in the town were without artillery and surrendered. 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRA TION 


351 


This enabled the Confederates to raise the blockade in that sec¬ 
tion, and they held Galveston until the close of the war. 

The Campaign of the East — the Advance against Richmond. — 
The next Union general to try his skill against Lee was Hooker, 
who succeeded Burnside, January 26. When Longstreet went 
to the Southwest with his reinforcements, he left Lee with about 
sixty thousand men. Hooker, having more troops, advanced 
against the Army of Northern Virginia. 



DEATH OF STONEWALL JACKSON 


With the main body he crossed the Rappahannock several 
miles above Fredericksburg, while Sedgwick stayed behind to 
secure the town. Despite his smallness of numbers, Lee divided 
his army, and Jackson by one of his swift, secret marches passed 
around Hooker with his division of twenty thousand men, and 
hurling it against the Union right, routed it. This compelled 
Hooker to make a change in the advantageous position he was 
holding, but the following day (May 2) he was driven from his 
line of battle. 

Meanwhile, Sedgwick had captured Fredericksburg and was 



352 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


marching to attack Lee in the rear. Lee turned, and meeting 
him drove him across the river. Then he confronted Hooker, 
who had hastened to his old position opposite Fredericksburg. 
Thus Lee had once more defeated the Army of the Potomac, 
and the campaign against Richmond terminated in another dis¬ 
astrous failure. The success of the Confederate leader, however, 
was won at the cost of his most valuable officer. Stonewall 
Jackson, while reconnoitring in front of his position at Chan- 
cellorsville, was fired upon by his own men, who, in the gloom 
of the night, mistook him for a Union officer. He was so badly 
wounded that he died on the following Sunday, May io. 

Lee’s Second Invasion of the North.—So great had been the 
success of Lee that the Confederate authorities determined to 
carry the war for a second time into the North. 

Marching rapidly down the Shenandoah, therefore, Lee crossed 
the Potomac and advanced to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. 
General George C. Meade, now in command of the Army of the 
Potomac, followed along the eastern side of the Blue Ridge and 
the South Mountain. Baltimore was alarmed by a demonstra¬ 
tion in that direction, but it proved to be only a diversion on the 
part of Lee, who was seeking to preserve his communications 
with Richmond. 

Gettysburg — the First Day. —The vanguards of the two great 
armies met near the little town of Gettysburg on the ist of July, 
where took place the decisive conflict'of the War for the Union 
and one of the most fearful battles of modern times. In the first 
shock of arms, the Confederates gained the advantage and the 
Union advance was driven back. But every Union soldier was a 
hero, and they were under the leadership of skilful and brave 
officers, who comprehended the vast interests at stake. They 
were ready to peril life, as they had done many a time before, 
that their beloved country might live. 

All through the warm summer night reinforcements continued 
to arrive, and in the bright moonlight were assigned to position, 
ready for the death grapple on the morrow. General Meade 


LINCOLN’S ADMINISTRATION 


353 



LEE’S SECOND INVASION 









354 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


held a consultation with his officers over the question of a change 
of base, but the Union leader decided to hold his ground and 
gather his energies for the mighty struggle close at hand. 

The Second Day. — The fighting on the second day was terrific. 
The experience of the soldiers on both sides had made them 
veterans. No braver troops trod the earth, and none was ever 
commanded by better officers. The Confederates were flushed 
by their past successes and the Unionists were nerved by the 
knowledge that the supreme grapple was before them. The 
assailants carried works at both ends of the Union lines, and Lee 
determined to continue the battle. Longstreet, however, after 
fighting his way to Cemetery Ridge received a bloody repulse 
from Hancock. But Ewell was so successful on the Federal 
right that fears were felt for the safety of the Union army on 
the morrow. 

The Third Day. — Ewell was driven out of his works early on 
the morning of the third day. Then followed a lull, used by Lee 
to prepare for the decisive assault. About one o’clock, one 
hundred and forty-five cannon on Seminary Ridge, opposite 
Meade’s centre, opened on the Union lines. Meade replied 
with his eighty pieces of artillery on the crest of Cemetery Ridge. 

For two hours the awful bombardment continued. The moun¬ 
tains and valleys shook under the most prodigious outburst that 
this continent has ever known. Then the uproar ceased, the 
mass of sulphurous vapor slowly lifted, and a double column of 
gray, numbering fifteen thousand men, — the flower of the Confed¬ 
erate army, —with the battle line more than a mile in length, pre¬ 
ceded by a swarm of skirmishers, and with its wings guarded, 
emerged from the woods and advanced toward Cemetery Ridge. 

The gleam of the muskets in the summer sun, the flutter of the 
red battle-flags, the precision of step, and the perfect discipline 
caused a murmur of admiration to run through the Union army 
at the thrilling picture. Nothing like it was ever before seen. 
The advancing column had to march a mile to reach the Union 
lines, and they did it as if on parade. 


wamm i 


LINCOLN'S ADM INIS TRA TION 


355 



SECOND DAY’S FIGHTING AT GETTYSBURG 






356 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


When within a quarter of a mile, a hundred guns opened. 
Ragged gaps were torn in the gray line, but, without faltering, 
the others closed up and came on with an increasing pace. The 
gait changed to “double quick,” and then the Union infantry 
poured their murderous volleys into the ranks of the enemy. 
The supports were scattered, but a minute later Pickett and his 
men planted their battle-flags on the breastworks and bayoneted 
the cannoneers at their guns. Then they swept toward the sec¬ 
ond and stronger Union line on the crest of the hill, but a vol¬ 
cano of flame burst upon them from the front, right, and left. 
Pickett saw that a few minutes more in the focus of such a ter¬ 
rible fire would not leave a man alive, and he gave the order to 
fall back. 

Back they went “ all that was left of them.” Some surrendered, 
while out of the division were lost three-fourths of the men, 
fourteen field officers, and three generals. No exploit in history 
surpassed Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg. The killed, wounded, 
and captured in this great battle amounted to nearly fifty thou¬ 
sand. The Federal army was too worn to take the aggressive and 
Lee, after a day’s rest, recrossed the Potomac and assumed posi¬ 
tion back of the Rapidan. 

Gettysburg, as has been stated, was the turning-point of the 
war. The charge of Pickett marked the highest wave of success. 
The repulse of Lee was a mortal blow to the Southern cause, 
whose doom was settled on the 3d of July, 1863. From that day 
forward, the leaders simply fought for terms. The downfall of 
the Southern Confederacy was inevitable. 

TOPICS.—The emancipation proclamation; when issued and what it ac¬ 
complished; the battle of Murfreesboro’; movements of Rosecrans; the 
assault by Bragg; the battle of Chickamauga; close of the first day; the 
second day; the threatened disaster to the Union army; how General Thomas 
saved the army from destruction; the “Rock of Chickamauga”; investment 
of Chattanooga; how Thomas’s communications were re-established; the 
“battle above the clouds”; the brilliant victory at Missionary Ridge; East 
Tennessee; raising of the siege of Knoxville; the defences at Vicksburg; 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


357 


exploit by the gunboats; splendid generalship of Grant; pressing of the 
siege; surrender of Vicksburg; what it meant. 

Admiral Dupont’s attack upon Charleston; work of General Gillmore; the 
Confederate privateers; the Alabama; the aid given to the Confederacy by 
England; recapture of Galveston by the Confederates; advance of General 
Hooker against Richmond; his defeat by Lee; death of Stonewall Jackson; 
Lee’s second invasion of the North; his march down the Shenandoah; move¬ 
ments of General Meade; the first day’s battle at Gettysburg; the night which 
followed; the fighting on the second day; repulse of Longstreet by Hancock; 
success of Ewell; the fighting on the third day; preparation for the grand 
assault by the Confederates; the impressive charge of General Pickett; its 
crushing repulse; losses on both sides; Lee’s retreat; the turning-point of 
the war; the inevitable end. 


CHAPTER XXXVI 


Lincoln’s administration.— 1861-1865 ( continued ) 
Events of 1864. 

tEAD to all the Union Armies — General Grant 
made Lieutenant General. — Great progress 
had been made in the War for the Union. 
The Mississippi was opened and the Con¬ 
federacy cut in twain. The South was suf¬ 
fering not only from the stringency of the 
blockade, but from the exhausting drain upon 
her resources, which were much less than 
those of the North. She could not, like her 
antagonist, replace the losses suffered in battle. But she still 
had the terrible Army of Northern Virginia wielded by the 
genius of R. E. Lee. Until that was con¬ 
quered, the struggle must continue. Gen¬ 
eral Grant,. through his successes in the 
West and Southwest, had convinced the 
government that he was the right man to 
hold supreme charge of all the military 
forces of the Union. Accordingly, early 
in the year 1864, he was made lieutenant 
general. 

The Campaign in the South. — Next to 
Lee’s army, the strongest one of the Con¬ 
federacy was that of General Johnston, 
whose military ability was hardly second 
to that of the commander-in-chief. Johnston had succeeded 
Bragg and was at Dalton, Georgia, with fifty thousand men. 

358 



GENERAL U. S. GRANT 



^irtUpXact 06 (Bettered (Brant 



LINCOLN ’ S AD MINiS TKA TION 359 

Sherman, with a force larger in numbers, advanced against him. 
Johnston fell back steadily, fighting and manoeuvring for a hun¬ 
dred miles. He checked the Union army at Kenesaw Mountain, 
and, on the 10th of August, withdrew behind the intrenchments 
of Atlanta. Jefferson Davis, who had long been unfriendly to 
Johnston, now removed him from command and placed Hood 
in charge of the Confederate operations in the Southwest. 

Hood was a brave but reckless fighter. He attacked the Union 
army repeatedly, but was repulsed in every instance. His losses 
in a few days exceeded those of Johnston during his whole cam¬ 
paign and brought him no advantage. In the end, he was driven 
out of Atlanta, which was occupied by Sherman, September 2. 
Thereupon Hood marched into Tennessee, expecting Sherman 
to follow him, and thus save Georgia from threatened invasion. 
Sherman, however, paid no attention to him. He had other 
plans in view and knew there was a man in Tennessee who would 
attend to Hood. 

Destruction of Hood’s Army by General Thomas.—That man 
was General 1 George H. Thomas. Hood strove to strike him 
before he could gather his forces. Schofield was driven into 
Nashville and shut up with Thomas behind the fortifications. 
Thomas set-to work to make his preparations. The government 
became impatient at his delay, and even Grant reproved him. 
But Thomas bided his time. When fully ready he marched out, 
December 15, with his army and attacked Hood. Thomas’s 
management of this movement has been pronounced the most 
perfect of any that occurred during the war. To the minutest 
detail the campaign was flawless, and when he struck Hood the 
blow was fatal. The Confederate army was splintered to frag¬ 
ments. It ceased to exist as an army and the worn-out Confed¬ 
eracy was never able to replace it. 

Sherman’s March to the Sea. — Sherman, with his army sixty 
thousand strong, now faced toward the Atlantic coast, three hun¬ 
dred miles distant, and swung off on his memorable march to the 
sea. His course led straight through the granary of the Confed- 



3 6 ° 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


eracy. The opening of the Mississippi had cut the country in 
two, and he proposed to split the main section apart. The bold 
movement forced him to cut loose from his base of supplies and 
to live off the country. The march was a colossal picnic. The 
Confederates had no force strong enough 
to check him, and he found an abun¬ 
dance of supplies throughout the region 
which, as yet, had not been visited by a 
hostile force. Railways were destroyed, 
buildings and bridges burned, slaves 
freed, and havoc inflicted right and left. 

Five weeks after starting, during which 
the North was filled with misgiving for 
the army, it emerged upon the Atlantic 
coast at Savannah. The Confederates fled 
and Sherman occupied the city, on the 
20th of December, obtaining enormous supplies and spoils. He 
telegraphed the fact to President Lincoln as a Christmas greet¬ 
ing. The march to the sea was a triumph. The Confederacy had 
been cut through 
the core a sec¬ 
ond time, had 
suffered vast loss, 
and was weaker 
than ever. 

The Final Cam- 
paign against 
Richmond. — 

Early in May, 

Grant, with 
Meade in imme¬ 
diate command of the Army of the Potomac, started on the final 
campaign against Richmond. The Union army was far more 
powerful than the Confederate, while the latter, as has been said, 
could no longer replace its losses. The armies encountered in 




GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN 




LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 361 

the Wilderness, where for two weeks the fighting was of the most 
furious nature, and the losses on both sides appalling. General 
Longstreet was badly injured under circumstances similar to the 
fatal wounding of Stonewall Jackson, and General J. E. B. Stuart, 
the most brilliant of the cavalry leaders of the Confederacy, was 
mortally hurt, and died the following day in Richmond. 

Grant would not be denied. It was said of him by his oppo¬ 
nents that he never knew when he was whipped. Repelled 
repeatedly, he charged again and held fast with a tenacity that 
could not be shaken off. He continually flanked Lee, who was 
as often forced backward, so as to interpose between him and 
Richmond, and prevent the cutting off of his supplies. At Cold 
Harbor an impetuous attack by the Union commander was re¬ 
pulsed with great loss. 

Grant’s Change of Plan. —The serious check at Cold Harbor 
caused a change of plan on the part of Grant. Crossing the James, 
he advanced to Petersburg, south of Richmond. The capture of 
this city would have been fatal to Lee, forcing him to choose 
between evacuating Richmond or allowing his men to starve. 
Petersburg was attacked June 16, but the Federals were repulsed. 
The next morning the Army of Northern Virginia arrived, and 
again flung itself across the advance to the Confederate capital. 

Siege of Petersburg. — Petersburg could be captured only by 
siege. Accordingly, Grant began the investment. A mine was 
exploded under an angle of the Confederate works, July 30, 
but the attack which followed was so mismanaged that the Union¬ 
ists suffered a frightful loss of life without gaining any advantage. 
The year ended with the siege of Petersburg still in progress. 

Defeat of Butler. —General Butler ascended the James River, 
early in May, with a strong force and landed at Bermuda Hun¬ 
dred. Beauregard surprised and drove him back into his in- 
trenchments. Then Beauregard threw intrenchments across the 
neck which joins Bermuda Hundred with the main land, and 
thus, in the language of Grant, “bottled up” Butler, so as to 
prevent his giving any help to his superior officer. 


362 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

Operations in the Shenandoah Valley. — While Grant was press¬ 
ing Lee, he planned other movements, so as to divide the Con¬ 
federate forces. Sigel was sent up the Shenandoah valley to 
threaten the railway communications with Richmond. He suf¬ 
fered a defeat, May 15, at Newmarket. His successor, General 
Hunter, won a victory at Piedmont, June 5, but found the 
enemy so strong at Lynchburg that he passed into West Virginia. 
This lifted Hunter out of the Shenandoah valley and placed him 
to the west of the Allegheny Mountains. 

Hunter being away, Jubal Early moved against Washington. 
Wallace was defeated at Monocacy, July 9, and, four days later, 
Early appeared before the defences of the 
capital. Reinforcements were received 
from Grant in time to repel any attack by 
Early, who retreated across the Potomac 
with a large amount of plunder. His cav¬ 
alry partly burned Chambersburg, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, because of its failure to pay the 
heavy tribute of half a million dollars de¬ 
manded. 

Sheridan now assumed charge of the 
Union operations in the Shenandoah val¬ 
ley. He attacked and defeated Early at 
Winchester, September 19. Early’s forces had been weakened 
by reinforcements sent to Lee. Three days after, Early was 
driven out of his trenches at Fisher’s Hill, and still further up 
the valley. 

Sheridan so devastated the section that he declared a crow 
could not find subsistence there. While he was absent, Early 
defeated the Federals at Cedar Creek, October 19. Sheridan 
was at Winchester, “twenty miles away,” when he heard the 
sound of firing. Leaping into the saddle he thundered up the 
valley, rallied his panic-stricken soldiers, attacked the Confed¬ 
erates, who were plundering the Union camp, and routed them 
with great loss. 



GENERAL P. H. SHERIDAN 



LINCOLN’S ADMINISTRATION 363 

The Red River Expedition. — General Banks, who was in com¬ 
mand at New Orleans, was ordered, early in the spring, to con¬ 
duct an expedition into the interior of Louisiana. His purpose 
was to secure some of the immensely valuable stores of cotton. 
Commodore Porter at the same time set out with a large fleet of 
gunboats to force his way up Red River. Little opposition was 
met, and Banks pushed on to Shreveport. At Sabine Cross 


RED RIVER EXPEDITION 

Roads, he was attacked by General Dick Taylor, April 8, and 
defeated. Retreating to Pleasant Hill, he received enough rein¬ 
forcements to repulse the enemy, but continued retreating until 
he reached New Orleans, where he was relieved of his command. 

Meanwhile, Commodore Porter had a narrow escape with his 
gunboats. While trying to keep up with Banks’s retreat, the 
river fell so rapidly that his fleet was brought to a standstill. It 
looked as if he would have to blow up the boats to save them 
from falling into the hands of the Confederates. Colonel Bailey, 









364 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


however, was ingenious enough to build a number of wing dams, 
by which the current was raised and the boats floated into deeper 
water. The Red River expedition was a failure from beginning 
to end. 

The War on the Water. —With all the stringency of the block¬ 
ade, a good many Confederate cruisers succeeded in slipping in 
and out of Wilmington, Mobile, and other ports. In Mobile 
especially the Confederates were defiant. They built a number 

of ironclads and armed vessels, and 
boasted that they would raise the 
blockade. Admiral Farragut at¬ 
tacked the defences, August 5, and, 
after a severe engagement, reduced 
the forts and effectually closed the 
port against any further blockade 
running. Wilmington was a point 
where the blockade runners were 
very daring and successful. Com¬ 
modore Porter bombarded the forts 
while General Butler led the land 
forces. The attack continued 
through December 24 and 25, when 
Butler went back to Fort Monroe, 
convinced that the fort could not 
be taken by assault. Commodore 

ADMIRAL FARRAGUT AT MOBILE J 

Porter thought differently and asked 
to be allowed to try it again, aided the second time by General 
Terry. After a brave defence, the garrison surrendered January 
15, 1865. 

Destruction of the “Alabama ” and other Confederate Privateers. 

— While the famous Confederate privateer Alabania was at 
Cherbourg, France, Captain Semmes challenged Captain Winslow, 
of the United States steamer Kearsarge, to come out and fight 
him. Winslow accepted the challenge, and, putting his vessel in 
the best trim possible, sailed out to the proper limit from shore. 






LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


365 



Ten thousand spectators lined the beach during the battle, which 
took place Sunday, June 19. 

The two vessels steamed round a common centre, from a quar¬ 
ter to a half mile apart, firing into each other. The aim of the 
Kearsarge was the more accurate and inflicted so much damage 
that at the end of little more than an hour, when Captain Semmes 
was beginning his eighth circuit, he saw his vessel was sinking. 
He headed for French waters, but receiving several more shots, 
hoisted a signal of distress. Semmes threw his sword into the 
water and leaped overboard just before the Alabama sank. An 
English yacht, the Deerhound, cruising near, picked him up, 
together with thirteen officers and twenty-six men, while the 
boats of the Kearsarge rescued the rest. 1 

The Georgia, another Confederate privateer, was seized off the 
coast of Portugal; the Florida, at Bahia, Brazil; and the Albe- 

1 The Kearsarge was wrecked on the night of February 2, 1894, off Roncador 
Reef, while on a voyage from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Bluefields, Nicaragua, and 
proved a total loss. 






366 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


marie (a huge ironclad, held in great dread by the Federals) was 
sunk at the mouth of the Roanoke by the daring exploit of Lieu¬ 
tenant Cushing. The Shenandoah continued her career of 
destruction for months after the war had closed, she being in 
waters so distant that her captain did not learn for a long time 
of the cessation of hostilities. 

Admission of West Virginia and Nevada. — That part of the Old 
Dominion now known as West Virginia was Union in its senti- 



BLOWING UP OF THE ALBEMARLE 

ments from the first. The necessary steps were taken for the 
erection of a new State, which was admitted to the Union June 
19, 1863. Nevada (whose name is a Spanish word signifying 
“snow-covered mountain”) became a State October 31, 1864. 
It formed a part of the territory acquired from Mexico by the 
treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, being the third State carved from 
that cession. At first it was a part of California Territory, and 
later a portion of Utah. Upon its erection yito a Territory, 
March 2, 1861, its area was somewhat less than at present. 










LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRA TION 


367 


The Presidential Election of 1864.—The Democrats placed 
General McClellan in nomination for the presidency. His 
patriotism would not permit any misunderstanding of his senti¬ 
ments regarding the war. He insisted upon its vigorous prose¬ 
cution and differed with the administration only as to the right 
policy to be followed. President Lincoln was renominated, with 
Andrew Johnson of Tennessee as the candidate for the vice presi¬ 
dency. Their election was by so decisive a majority that it was 
apparent to all that the people of the North insisted upon pressing 
the war until the Union was fully restored. 

TOPICS. —The progress made in the War for the Union; the exhaustion 
of the South; what she still had; the promotion of General Grant; the Con¬ 
federate army in the Southwest; the advance of General Sherman against 
General Johnston; supersedure of Johnston by Hood; characteristics of the 
latter; his course; the result; the course of Sherman; destruction of Hood’s 
army by Thomas; Sherman’s march to the sea; his course; his march through 
the core of the Confederacy; his arrival at Savannah; Sherman’s Christmas 
greeting to President Lincoln; Sherman’s triumph. 

Grant’s final campaign against Richmond; the two hostile armies; the 
fighting in the Wilderness; wounding of General Longstreet; death of Gen¬ 
eral Stuart; Grant’s persistency; his change of plan; his check at Cold Har¬ 
bor; repulse of the Union attack upon Petersburg; siege of Petersburg; close 
of the year; defeat of General Butler; the operations in Shenandoah valley; 
advance of Jubal Early against Washington; the battle of Monocacy; retreat 
of Early; partial burning of Chambersburg; Sheridan in the valley; his de¬ 
feat of Early at Winchester; at Fisher’s Hill; devastation of the section; 
defeat of the Federals at Cedar Creek; Sheridan’s memorable victory; the 
Red River expedition; the battle at Sabine Cross Roads; at Pleasant Hill; 
the danger of Commodore Porter and his fleet; how it was saved from destruc¬ 
tion; Admiral Farragut’s victory at Mobile; failure to capture the forts at 
Wilmington, North Carolina; success of General Terry; destruction of the 
Alabama by the Kearsarge ; seizure of the Georgia ; the Florida ; Lieutenant 
Cushing’s sinking of the Albemarle; career of th z Shenandoah ; erection of 
West Virginia into a separate State; admission of Nevada; its early history; 
the presidential election of 1864. 


CHAPTER XXXVII 

Lincoln’s administration.— 1861-1865 ( concluded ) 
Events of 186s 

NING Fortunes of the Confederacy — Sher¬ 
man’s Northward March. —The opening of 
this year saw the end of the war at hand. 
The Confederate congress, on February 5, 
made General Lee commander-in-chief of 
all the forces arrayed against the Union. 
One of his first acts was to restore General 
Johnston to the command of the army still 
disputing Sherman. It included all the 
troops in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. When Sherman 
was ready to leave Savannah, of which he took possession at the 
close of the previous year, he had an army of seventy thousand 
men. Leaving a strong force at the city, he started northward, 
on the 1st of February. Columbia surrendered on the 17th 
and was burned the following night, though by whom has never 
been clearly proven. Charleston was fired and evacuated the 
next day. 

Johnston made the best fight he could. He gave Sherman a 
hard struggle at Averysboro’ and Bentonville, but could not beat 
back the superior force. At Goldsboro’ Sherman joined Scho¬ 
field, who had marched thither from Wilmington, and Terry, who 
had come from Newbern. This increased the army to one hun¬ 
dred thousand men. Feeling safe, Sherman placed Schofield in 
charge and met Grant at City Point on the 27th of March. They 

368 



7Lome• of General 11. E. tee 



LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 369 

held a consultation and arrived at 
an understanding as to the closing 
operations. 

Grant’s Final Campaign. — Grant 
never loosened his grip upon Lee. 

An attempt to turn the Confederate 
right, on February 5, was repulsed, 
though the Federals gained several 
additional miles of territory. Lee’s 
army, numbering only thirty-five 
thousand men, was forced to cover 
a line forty miles in length. It was 
inevitably weak at many points. 

The situation was becoming des¬ 
perate. Lee’s plan was to fall 
back and unite with Johnston. 

Grant set to work to prevent the 
junction. To hide his purpose, Lee furiously assailed Grant’s 
right at Fort Steadman. The assault was a failure and the 
Confederates lost three thousand men. Sheridan now joined 
Grant, who determined to force Lee to the wall. He fixed on 
the 29th of March for an attack at all points. The movement 
began that day, but the rain descended in torrents on the 30th 
and nothing could be done. On the 31st Lee attacked the Fed¬ 
erals and gained some advantage. 

Lee’s next attack was upon Sheridan at Five Forks. He drove 
him back, but the Federals rallied, flanked the Confederates, and 
recovered the ground they had lost. Warren’s corps united with 
Sheridan, who renewed his attack upon the Confederates and 
drove them toward Petersburg. 

Grant opened a cannonade along his entire front, April 1, and 
an advance the following day broke the Confederate line at 
several points. Before the sun rose, April 2, the whole Con¬ 
federate front was assailed by the Union army. The lines were 
broken again and Lee, with his small army, fled southward. The 













370 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Confederates, however, never lost their wonderful courage. They 
plucked the buds of the branches and fell asleep with the smok¬ 
ing muskets in their hands. Their officers prodded them with 
their swords and they roused and went to fighting again. Many 
of them seemed to be fighting in their sleep. No men ever 
fought more bravely, and, though outnumbered, they showed no 
signs of wavering or surrender. 

Lee reached Amelia Court House, thirty-eight miles west of 
Petersburg, on the 4th of April. There he expected to receive 
food for his famishing men. An immense railway train, loaded 
with provisions, soon came in sight from the direction of Rich¬ 
mond, but to the dismay of the soldiers it sped past without 
slackening speed. The distressed commander sent out de¬ 
tachments to scour the country for food. They came back with 
none, for none existed. 

Evacuation of Richmond. — On Sunday, April 2, while Jefferson 
Davis was sitting in his pew at church, a messenger hurriedly 
entered and handed him a telegram. It was from Lee, telling 
him that his outer lines had been forced and he could hold 
Petersburg but a few hours longer. This meant the fall of Rich¬ 
mond. The inhabitants, upon learning the news, were thrown 
into a panic. Scenes of indescribable confusion followed, and 
continued through that night and the following day. Warehouses 
were burned, stores broken open, and the convicts in the peni¬ 
tentiary, having escaped because of the flight of their guards, 
joined the frantic throng and plundered right and left. The 
flames spread, and, thirty squares were laid in ashes. Amid the 
explosion of shells, the roar of the conflagration, the strangling 
smoke and cinders, the hoarse shouts of men, and the cries of 
women and children the Union army arrived. Order was soon 
restored. The plundering was stopped, the fire checked, and 
something like quiet came to the once proud city, now prostrate 
in sackcloth and ashes. 

The Surrender at Appomattox. — Despite the woful disappoint¬ 
ment at Amelia Court House, Lee and his soldiers kept up their 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRA 710A 


37 * 



EVACUATION OF RICHMOND 







372 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


retreat, crossing the Appomattox, on the 6th of April, at High 
Bridge. There the commander called a council of war, at which 
the majority agreed that the time had come to surrender, but Lee 
would not yet consent. The retreat continued. 

No pen can fitly describe the events of those few days. It was 
fighting continually. The roads were choked with blazing 
wagons to prevent their capture; ammunition trains were blown 
up and the air was full of bursting shells and exploding powder. 
At Paine’s Cross Roads, the Union cavalry burned one hundred 
and eighty wagons and captured five guns. At another place, 
Custer destroyed four hundred wagons and took sixteen guns. 
Ewell’s brigade was cut off, surrounded, and compelled to sur¬ 
render. This was a loss of six thousand men to Lee’s army. 

Lee pushed on, and, finding it impossible to join Johnston, 
made for the mountains. But Grant was on the alert, and closed 
in from every direction. He sent a proposal to Lee to surrender, 
offering generous terms and striving to impress upon him the 
uselessness of further shedding blood. The correspondence con¬ 
tinued for a couple of days. Finally, at Appomattox Court 
House, Lee saw that the end had come. He met General Grant 
on the afternoon of April 9, and surrendered what was left of the 
Army of Northern Virginia. The soldiers were paroled and 
allowed to go home, the boys in blue gladly sharing the contents 
of their haversacks with their starving brethren in gray, who had 
fought them so long and so well. 

Assassination of President Lincoln. — The month of April, 
1865, was a fateful one in the history of our country. The 
news of the fall of Richmond and the surrender of Lee filled the 
North with rejoicing, and the event was celebrated everywhere. 
It is safe to say that many of those who had fought the most 
bravely in the South drew a sigh of thankfulness when the blessed 
end at last came. 

On the evening of April 14, President Lincoln was seated, 
with his wife and some friends, in a box at Ford’s Theatre in 
Washington. A little past ten o’clock, John Wilkes Booth, an 



LINCOLN ’ 5 AD MIN IS TRA TION 


LEE’S SURRENDER AT AFPOMATTOX 





374 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


actor whose overweening conceit almost approached insanity, 
stealthily entered the box’from the rear and mortally wounded 
the President with a pistol shot, leaping upon the stage and 
making his escape before he could be arrested. The wounded 
President was unconscious, and being carried across the street 
to a house, died at twenty-two minutes past seven the next 
morning. 

The assassin rode thirty miles into Maryland before he dared 
stop to have his sprained ankle dressed. He crossed the Poto¬ 
mac and was overtaken by his pursuers near Bowling Green. He 
turned at bay in a barn, and, refusing to surrender, the building 
was fired. Revealed by the light of the flames, one of the 
soldiers shot and fatally wounded him through a crevice, the 
wretched fugitive dying shortly afterward. 

No man since Washington was more sincerely mourned than 
President Lincoln. Those who had been his strongest political 
opponents now united in praise of one of the greatest Americans 
and purest patriots that ever lived. Even in the South his death 
was deplored, for instinctively that desolated section appreciated 
the broad charitable humanity of the man who pitied them in 
their defeat and would have been more kindly in his treatment 
of them than any other man or body of men would have dared to 
be. Among the blows struck against the South, the killing of 
Abraham Lincoln was one of the severest. 

Collapse of the Southern Confederacy. — General Johnston sur¬ 
rendered his army to General Sherman, April 26, receiving the 
same generous terms that were given to Lee and his men. Dick 
Taylor, commanding the rest of the Confederate forces east of 
the Mississippi, submitted early in May, as did all the naval 
forces of the Confederacy then blockaded in the Tombigbee 
River. The scattered troops remaining had all surrendered 
before the close of the month. 

Capture and Release of Jefferson Davis. —When Jefferson Davis 
received the startling telegram from General Lee, April 2, he 
and the leading Confederate officials hastened from the city and 


LINCOLN >S ADMIN/STRA TION 


375 


fled southward. Their purpose was to escape beyond the limits 
of the United States. But on the ioth of May, when near Irwins- 
ville, Georgia, Davis and his companions were captured by a 
squad of Union cavalry. He was imprisoned in Fort Monroe 
to await his trial on charge of treason. The trial was postponed 
from time to time until, as passion cooled, the prisoner was re¬ 
leased on May 13, 1867, and the prosecution was dropped in 
February, 1869. 

TOPICS. —Action of the Congress; restoration of General Johnston to 
command; Sherman’s northward march; his meeting with Grant; desperate 
situation of Lee; the iron grip of Grant; his activity; the assault April 2; the 
wonderful courage of the Confederates; Lee at Amelia Court House; the 
momentous telegram received by Jefferson Davis while in church April 2; 
scenes attending the evacuation of Richmond; the continued retreat of Lee; 
the incessant attacks of the Union troops; the final surrender at Appomattox 
Court House; assassination of President Lincoln; death of the assassin; gen¬ 
eral mourning over the death of the President; collapse of the Southern Con¬ 
federacy; capture and release of Jefferson Davis. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Notes. Union . — Robert Anderson was born in Ken¬ 
tucky in 1805, was graduated from West Point, and served in the Black Hawk, 
Florida, and Mexican wars. He was placed in command of the Union troops 
in the Charleston forts in November, i860. After his return north, following 
the surrender of Fort Sumter, he was made a brigadier general and assigned 
to a command in Kentucky. His health had been delicate for several years, 
and he took no further important part in the war. He died in 1871. 

Joseph Bailey, who saved Commodore Porter’s fleet from destruction during 
the Red River expedition of 1864, was a Wisconsin military engineer born in 
1827. His plan for the rescue of the fleet was ridiculed by the other engi¬ 
neers, but its success brought him the thanks of congress and the brevet rank 
of brigadier general. He / died in 1867. 

Nathaniel P. Banks was born in Massachusetts in 1816. He learned the 
trade of a machinist, but his ability caused his election to congress, where 
he remained from 1853 to 1857. In 1855 he was chosen speaker on the one 
hundred and thirty-third ballot, after a contest lasting nearly three months. 
He was governor of Massachusetts in 1858, 1859, and i860. The national 
government, like the Confederacy, made the mistake, at the beginning of the 
war, of appointing politicians and public men to command, when they were 
lacking in military experience and ability. General Banks was made a major 
general, and was never able as such to render any important service to his 


376 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


country. He was a congressman from 1865 to 1873, from 1877 to 1879, and 
from 1889 to 1891. He died in September, 1894. 

Don Carlos Buell was born in 1818, was graduated at West Point, and served 
in the Mexican war. We have learned of his important services in the civil 
war. Pie was an able leader, who suffered at times from harsh criticism. 
Probably no graver and more serious man than Buell was in either army. It 
was said by officers who had been associated with him for years that they 
never saw him smile under any circumstances. 

Ambrose E. Burnside was born in 1824, and was graduated from West 
Point at the age of twenty-three. Having invented a breech-loading rifle, 
he resigned from the army and entered into business. He commanded a 
brigade at the battle of Manassas, or first Bull Run, and was a corps com¬ 
mander of the Army of the Potomac at the close of the war. He was gov¬ 
ernor of Rhode Island 1866-1868, and United States senator 1875-1881, 
dying in the last-named year. 

Benjamin E. Butler was born in 1818, and was graduated from Waterville 
College, Maine, in 1830. His marked ability brought him much success as 
a lawyer at Lowell, Massachusetts, where he made his home. He served in 
the state legislature, and always manifested an interest in military matters. 
He entered the national service, at the opening of the war, as brigadier gen¬ 
eral and was soon made a major general. He showed no special skill as a 
military leader, furnishing another proof that the successful soldier, as a rule, 
must be trained to his profession. After his disaster at Big Bethel, a number 
of slaves took refuge within his lines. In answer to the demand of their 
owners, Butler replied that slaves were “ contraband of war.” The expres¬ 
sion was a happy one, which helped to make him famous. His stern rule in 
New Orleans kept out the yellow fever and earned the undying hatred of the 
secessionists. He was a congressman from Massachusetts 1867-1875 and 
1877-1879, and prominent in the proceedings which brought about the im¬ 
peachment of Andrew Johnson. He was a member at different times of all 
the leading political parties, and in 1882 was Democratic governor of Massa¬ 
chusetts. In 1884, he was presidential candidate on the Greenback and Anti- 
Monopoly ticket, but received only an insignificant vote. His greatest success 
was achieved as a lawyer. He died in 1893. 

Samuel R. Curtis, who won the Union victory at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, was 
born in 1807, and was an Ohio lawyer, with a taste for military matters which 
made him adjutant general of militia in 1846, when he began his service in the 
Mexican war. He was a congressman in 1861 at the time of his appointment 
as brigadier general, and, after Pea Ridge, was in command at Fort Leaven¬ 
worth, served as a United States commissioner to negotiate treaties with vari¬ 
ous Indian tribes, and died in 1866. 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


377 


William B. Cushing, born in 1842, made a striking record during the civil 
war. He captured the first prize, and, by one of the most daring of exploits, 
sunk the formidable ram Albe7narle , whose presence in the Roanoke River was 
a menace to General Grant’s operations south of Richmond. Cushing distin¬ 
guished himself again at Fort Fisher, and but for a mental affection which seized 
him, must have attained the highest honors in the navy. He died in 1874. 

George A. Custer, born in 1839, was graduated from West Point, and imme¬ 
diately entering the army distinguished himself by his dashing bravery and 
fearlessness, as well as his fine military ability. He was made a general in the 
regular army, but in a headlong attack upon the Sioux Indians, at the Little 
Big Horn River, in June, 1876, he and all his command were slain. 

Abner Doubleday, born in New York in 1819, and educated at West Point, 
as we have learned, fired the first gun from Fort Sumter, in reply to the attack 
by Beauregard. He distinguished himself at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chan- 
cellorsville, and Gettysburg, winning a promotion to a generalship. He re¬ 
signed his commission in 1873 and died twenty years later. 

John Ericsson, born in Sweden in 1803, early gave indications of his mar¬ 
vellous inventive powers. He came to this country in 1839, and soon attracted 
attention by his remarkable inventions, most of which were connected with 
engines and naval equipments. His construction of the Monitor, which beat 
off the terrible Merrimac , was of incalculable service to the cause of the 
Union. He was active in making new inventions up to his death, which took 
place in his eighty-seventh year. 

David G. Farragut, born in 1801, entered the naval service when but nine 
years old. Only a boy in the war of 1812, he safely performed several impor¬ 
tant missions intrusted to him. He was a Southerner by birth, but threw all 
his energies into the cause of the Union, in which he won a distinction that 
made him the foremost of modern naval heroes. As a reward for his great 
services, the office of vice admiral was created for him in December, 1864, 
and that of admiral in 1866. He died in 1870. 

Andrew H. Foote, born in 1806, entered the navy at the age of sixteen. 
His principal service, previous to the civil war, was in suppressing the African 
slave trade. He was a devout Christian, and one of the bravest of men. His 
fine service brought his appointment as rear admiral in 1863, but he died in 
that year from a severe wound in the foot, received while fighting for his country. 

Quincy A. Gillmore, born in Ohio in 1825, was a graduate from West Point, 
and began his services in the war for the Union as chief of engineers in the 
Port Royal expedition in 1861. His excellent work at Charleston made him a 
major general. He died in 1888. 

Ulysses S. Grant, the foremost general in the war for the Union, was born 
at Point Pleasant, Ohio, April 27, 1822. He was graduated from West Point 


378 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


in 1843, with a standing that was only fair. His services in the war with 
Mexico caused him to be brevetted captain, but he resigned his commission in 
1854 and engaged in business with moderate success. He was among the 
first to volunteer, and, by his great ability, won the highest military honors and 
the gratitude of his country. He did what no other Union general was able to 
do, — conquered Lee and brought the gigantic struggle to a triumphant con¬ 
clusion. As we shall note further on, he received the unanimous Republican 
nomination for the presidency in 1868 and served for two terms. After long- 
continued and intense suffering from a cancer at the root of his tongue, he 
died at Mount Gregor, New York, July 23, 1885. 

Henry W. Halleck, born in New York in 1815, was graduated from West 
Point, and was identified with the early political and military movements in 
California. At the outbreak of the civil war he was appointed a major general, 
with command of the department of Missouri. When hostilities ceased, he was 
placed in charge of the Pacific division, which he retained until 1869, when he 
was transferred to the division of the south, where he remained until his death 
in 1872. 

Joseph Hooker, born in Massachusetts in 1814, was graduated from West 
Point and won distinction in Mexico. Although he failed when pitted against 
Lee, he had few if any superiors as a commander of a division or corps, his 
energetic valor winning for him the name of “ Fighting Joe.” His principal 
services have been already described. He received the brevet of major gen¬ 
eral in the regular army in 1865, and retired three years later, dying in 1879. 

Andrew Johnson, seventeenth President, was born at Raleigh, North 
Carolina, December 29, 1808. His parents were extremely poor, and until 
well grown he did not know his alphabet. He was apprenticed to a tailor and 
when a young man removed to Tennessee, where he was married before he 
reached the age of twenty. His wife was one of the noblest of women and 
assisted him in his studies. His own energy and ability soon brought him for¬ 
ward. He filled several local offices, was elected to the state legislature and 
served in congress in 1843-1853. In the last-named year he became governor 
of Tennessee, and remained until 1857, when he was chosen United States 
senator. He was a pronounced Democrat, but an uncompromising Unionist, 
because of which President Lincoln appointed him military governor of 
Tennessee during the stormy days of 1862. It was as a reward for his deter¬ 
mined stand for the Union, that he was placed on the presidential ticket with 
Lincoln in 1864. We shall learn of his administration in the following pages. 
After the close of his term he lived in retirement most of the time, and died 
July 31, 1875. 

George B. McClellan was born in Philadelphia in December, 1826, and was 
graduated with distinction from West Point in 1846. He served in the 


LINCOLN ’ 6 - A DMINIS TRA TION 


379 


Mexican war, and was afterward instructor at West Point. He then became 
prominent as a railway engineer and president. At the beginning of the civil 
war, he was looked upon as the greatest of all the commanders. With his 
unquestioned skill, his excess of caution brought his most promising campaigns 
to naught. In West Virginia he was a dashing, headlong fighter; at the 
head of the Army of the Potomac, he was hesitating, and shrank from “ taking 
chances.” The bluff Secretary Stanton said of him: “ If I should give him 
one million men, he would declare that the rebels had two million, and then 
sit down in the mud and refuse to move until he had three million.” After 
Antietam he was placed on waiting orders. He resigned in 1864, and, as we 
have learned, was a candidate against President Lincoln in that year. He 
was Democratic governor of New Jersey 1878-1881, and died in 1885. 

Irvin McDowell was born in 1818, was graduated from West Point, and 
served in the Mexican war. The failure at Bull Run reacted upon his reputa¬ 
tion, though he commanded a corps in Virginia, in 1862, and took part in a 
number of leading battles. He was promoted to major general in 1872, retired 
in 1882, and died in 1885. 

George G. Meade was born in Spain in 1815, but, since his father was 
the American minister at the time, the son was as much an American as if 
born on Bunker Hill. He was educated at West Point, and took part in the 
frontier wars and in Mexico. After the great battle of Gettysburg he was 
made brigadier general and then major general. He commanded several 
departments, and died in 1872. 

John Pope, born in 1823, was graduated from West Point and took part in 
the principal battles south of the Rio Grande in the war with Mexico. His suc¬ 
cess in the Southwest led to his appointment to the command of the Army of the 
Potomac, where he suffered disastrous reverses. He was glad to be relieved of 
the responsibility and to undertake the task of quieting the Minnesota Indians. 
He commanded a department after the war, retired in 1886, and died in 1892. 

David Dixon Porter, born in 1813, was the son of David Porter, the naval 
hero of the war of 1812. The son accompanied his father on many of his 
voyages, and became a midshipman in 1829. He served against Mexico, and 
was active in the war for the Union. He was promoted to vice admiral in 
1866 and to admiral in 1870, being at that time superintendent of the naval 
academy at Annapolis. He wrote a number of naval works and several novels. 
He died in 1891. 

Fitz-John Porter was born in 1822, and educated at West Point, from which 
he went almost directly into the Mexican war. He served well, but in the 
civil war was cashiered for his failure properly to support Pope in his second 
Bull Run campaign. By an act of congress, in 1886, the decision was reversed 
and he was restored to his rank as colonel in the army. 


380 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


William S. Rosecrans was born in 1819, and also educated at West Point. 
Before the breaking out of the civil war he was a professor at the military 
academy, and entered the service as colonel of Ohio volunteers. He won the 
battle of Rich Mountain in West Virginia, in 1861, and, as successor of 
McClellan, gained a victory at Carnifex Ferry in the autumn of the same year. 
After his defeat at Chickamauga, he was placed on waiting orders and resigned 
in 1867. He was appointed minister to Mexico in 1868, and represented 
California in congress 1881-1885, afterward serving as register of the United 
States treasury from 1885 to 1893. 

William T. Sherman, born in 1820, was graduated twenty years later from 
West Point. He took part in the Seminole war and in the war with Mexico. 
He left the army in 1853, and was engaged in business for several years. He 
was superintendent of a military academy in Louisiana at the outbreak of the 
war, and immediately resigned upon the secession of the State. He was one 
of the few who comprehended the character of the great struggle which 
impended, and for a time refused to offer his services until the government 
would call out a half million men or more. He was a colonel and com¬ 
manded a brigade at the first battle of Bull Run. His ability and service 
caused his rapid promotion, and he took a leading part in suppressing the 
rebellion. He was made lieutenant general in 1866, and succeeded Grant 
as general in 1869. He retired because of age in 1883. He was a fine soldier, 
popular everywhere, outspoken, honest, and of stainless character. He died 
on February 14, 1891, one day after the death of Admiral Porter. 

Philip H. Sheridan, one of the three greatest generals of the war, was born 
at Albany (though it has been claimed that his birthplace was in Ohio) in 
1831, and was graduated in 1853 from West Point. He came from the Pacific 
coast in 1861 with the avowed determination to win a captaincy, if the war 
would only last long enough. He won all the military honors that came to 
Grant and Sherman, for he proved himself a born soldier, of dauntless personal 
courage, with the highest ability. He died August 5, 1888. 

John M. Schofield was born in 1831, and was graduated from West Point 
in the class with Sheridan. At the close of the war he was sent on a special 
mission to France. He was secretary of war in 1868-1869. President Grant 
had great respect for his scholarship, and made him superintendent of West 
Point in 1876. He held the office for the usual term of five years. At the 
death of Sheridan in 1888, Schofield succeeded him as commander-in-chief of 
the army, retiring in 1895. 

John Sedgwick was born in 1813, and, after his graduation from West 
Point, served in the Seminole and Mexican wars. He commanded a brigade 
at the beginning of the war and a division at Fair Oaks, on the Peninsula, 
and at Antietam. He had charge of a corps at Chancellorsville and the 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


381 

left wing at Gettysburg. In the furious fighting in the Wilderness, he was 
shot and instantly killed by a sharp-shooter. 

Franz Sigel was born in Germany in 1824, and was a leader in the rebel¬ 
lion in Baden in 1848. He came to this country in 1852, and was among the 
first to enlist in the cause of the Union. He fought well in Missouri and 
Arkansas, and commanded a corps at the second battle of Bull Run. He 
was wonderfully skilful in retreating, but hardly met the high hopes enter¬ 
tained of his ability as a military leader. 

Alfred H. Terry was one of the few successful military leaders appointed 
from civil life. He was born in 1827, and became a lawyer, but always felt 
an interest in military matters. His successful storming of Fort Fisher in Janu¬ 
ary, 1865, made him a brigadier general in the regular army. His next exploit 
was the capture of Wilmington. He was made a major general in 1886, and 
retired in 1888. 

George H. Thomas was born in Virginia in 1816, and was educated at 
West Point. He began fighting for his country against the Seminoles, and 
distinguished himself in the 'Mexican war. His matchless services in the 
civil war have been narrated. To this splendid hero congress gave its thanks, 
and he was made major general in the regular army. After serving as de¬ 
partmental commander, he died in 1870. 

Charles Wilkes was born in 1798. As lieutenant and commander of the 
squadron, he sailed on an exploring expedition through the Pacific and in the 
Antarctic regions, being absent from 1838 to 1842. He was made captain 
in 1855, and became the hero of the hour in 1861 by his capture of Mason 
and Slidell, the Confederate commissioners, though the government was com¬ 
pelled to disavow the act. He became a commodore in 1862, and, retiring 
two years later, was made rear admiral on the retired list. 

John A. Winslow was born in Massachusetts in 1811, and entered the navy 
at the age of sixteen. He did good service in the Mexican war, and became 
famous through his sinking of the Alabama , the particulars of which we have 
learned. He died in 1873. 

John L. Worden, commander of the Monitor in its famous battle with the 
Merrimac, was born in 1818. For his services in the important battle named 
he was thanked by congress and made a commander. He was afterward en¬ 
gaged in enforcing the blockade, and helped in the attack on Charleston in 
1863. He was promoted to commodore in 1868, rear admiral in 1872, and 
was superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1870 to 1874, being retired 
in 1886. He died in 1897. 

Confederate. — P. Gustave T. Beauregard was born in Louisiana in 1818, 
and was graduated from West Point in 1838. He served in the engineers, 
and was superintendent of the Military Academy in 1861, when he resigned to 


382 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


enter the service of the Confederacy. We have learned of the part he played 
in fighting against the Union. He surrendered with Johnston in April, 1865, 
became one of the managers of the Louisiana state lottery, and died in 1893. 

Braxton Bragg, born in 1817, was graduated at the age of twenty from 
West Point. He did good service in Mexico, and joined the Confederacy 
early in 1861. His decisive defeat by Grant in the battles around Chatta¬ 
nooga led to his removal from command, but he was in the field again toward 
the close of the war. He died in 1876. 

Jefferson Davis, the president of the Southern Confederacy, was born in 
Kentucky in 1808. He was graduated from West Point in 1828, and served 
in the Black Hawk war, but left the army and became a cotton planter in 
Mississippi, from which State he was elected to congress in 1845. He re¬ 
signed the following year to act as colonel in the Mexican war. He achieved 
his greatest fame in Mexico in the battle of Buena Vista. At a critical point 
in the battle he formed his regiment in the shape of a V, and, receiving 
the charge of the enemy, closed in upon them and captured the whole body. 
This exploit was made so much of that a Richmond paper, in criticising the 
course of the president in military matters, said: “ When the Confederacy 
passes away, its motto will be ‘ Died of the letter V.’ ” He represented Mis¬ 
sissippi in the United States senate 1847-1851 and 1857-1861, and was secre¬ 
tary of war through Pierce’s administration. Upon the secession of his 
State in. 1861, he resigned his seat in the senate, and, as stated elsewhere, * 
became provisional president of the Confederacy in February, 1861, and was 
elected president and inaugurated February 22, 1862. When the proceed¬ 
ings against him were dropped in 1867, he removed to Memphis, and later 
to an estate in Mississippi. He died in New Orleans, December 6, 1889. 

Jubal A. Early was born in Virginia in 1815, was a graduate of West Point, 
and adopted law as a profession, but entered the army as major in 1847, serv¬ 
ing to the close of the Mexican war. He was a strong secessionist, and fought 
as a colonel at the first battle of Bull Run and Williamsburg. He was a briga¬ 
dier general at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, and was removed by Lee 
because of his defeats in the Shenandoah valley by Sheridan. Early was one 
of the few who refused to acknowledge the results of the war. He would not 
accept “ reconstruction,” and mourned the failure of the struggle for Southern 
independence. He was associated with Beauregard in the management of the 
Louisiana state lottery, and died in 1894. 

Richard S. Ewell was born in 1817, and, after his graduation from West 
Point, served in the Mexican war. He was a brigadier general at Bull Run, and 
became a major general in the Shenandoah campaign. He succeeded to the 
command of Jackson’s corps, upon the death of that leader, and surrendered 
at the close of the war, when further resistance was hopeless. He died in 1872. 


LINCOLN'S ADM INIS TRA TLON 


383 


Thomas J. Jackson was bom in Virginia in 1824, was graduated from West 
Point, and saw service in the Mexican war. He became a professor in the 
Virginia Military Institute, where his strict puritanical manners and severe 
methods were anything but acceptable to the cadets under his charge. He 
became one of the most striking figures of the civil war. He commanded a 
brigade at the battle of Bull Run. When the Union troops were forcing back 
the Confederates, General Bee rushed up to Jackson with the news. “ Then,” 
coolly replied Jackson, “we will give them the bayonet.” Turning to his 
men, Bee remarked: “There’s Jackson standing like a stone wall,” and from 
that incident he received the name by which he will always be best remem¬ 
bered. Jackson was a veritable thunderbolt of war. He was impetuous, 
dashing, and shrank from no obstacle or risk when a duty was assigned 
to him. It may be said of him that he was the right arm of General Lee. 
He was devoutly religious, and his death, when shot through mistake by 
his own men, w r as the severest blow the Confederacy had received up to that 
time. 

Joseph E. Johnston was born in Virginia in 1807, and was graduated from 
West Point in 1829. Thus he saw many years of service before entering the 
Confederacy as senior major general. It seemed to be his fate to be wounded 
in almost every battle in which he took part, for he was injured ten different 
times, his severe wounding at Williamsburg, when the fragment of a shell 
broke several ribs and hurled him from his horse, giving the command to 
General Lee. The dislike of Jefferson Davis for Johnston dated from before 
the civil war, and the Confederate president was severely criticised for his 
treatment of one of his ablest officers. Johnston and Sherman became inti¬ 
mate friends after the surrender of the former to the latter. Johnston repre¬ 
sented Virginia in congress, and died in 1891. 

Robert E. Lee, the foremost general of the Confederacy, was born in Vir¬ 
ginia in 1807, and was the son of “ Light Horse Harry,” the intimate friend 
of Washington. It was said that Cadet Lee passed through West Point with¬ 
out a demerit, and he was graduated second in his class. He distinguished him¬ 
self in Mexico, and was held in especial esteem by General Scott, who looked 
upon him as his successor in command of the army of the United States. He 
was commandant at West Point from 1852 to 1855, and in 1859 captured John 
Brown at Harper’s Ferry, after his wild raid. As the war progressed he be¬ 
came the mainstay of the Confederacy, and when forced to surrender the sun 
of Southern independence set never to rise again. General Lee was a man 
of admirable character, with military ability of the highest order, and he set a 
good example by the sincerity and honesty with which he accepted the result 
of the war. He became president of the Washington and Lee University in 
Lexington, Virginia, and died October 12, 1870. 




3^4 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


James Longstreet, born in South Carolina in 1821, was graduated from 
West Point in 1842. Like so many others, he served in the Mexican war, 
and, entering the service of the Confederacy, became one of its hardest fight¬ 
ers and most skilful leaders. He fought gallantly from the opening to the close 
at Appomattox. He offended many of his friends by the promptness with 
which he accepted the new order of things. He was rewarded by being made 
postmaster at his home in Georgia, United States marshal, minister to Turkey 
in his old age, and finally government railroad commissioner. He has further 
aroused criticism among his former associates by his strictures upon the man¬ 
ner in which Lee conducted the battle of Gettysburg. 

John B. Magruder, who commanded the Confederate forces which first con¬ 
fronted McClellan on the Peninsula, was born in 1810. After the close of the 
war he served with Maximilian in Mexico, and died in 1871. 

James M. Mason, who was captured by Captain Wilkes, was born in Vir¬ 
ginia in 1798, represented his State in congress from 1837 to 1839, and as 
United States senator from 1847 t° 1861. Although released by the national gov¬ 
ernment, he was able to do the Confederacy no service abroad and died in 1871. 

John C. Pemberton, who surrendered Vicksburg to General Grant, was born 
in 1814, and, after his graduation from West Point, served in the Seminole 
war and the war with Mexico. He died in 1881. 

George E. Pickett, who led the famous charge at Gettysburg, was born in 
1825, and did excellent service in the war with Mexico. He suffered defeat at 
Five Forks, and was among those who surrendered with General Lee at Appo¬ 
mattox. He died in 1875. 

Leonidas Polk was born in 1806, and was Episcopal bishop of Louisiana 
at the breaking out of the civil war. He was a graduate of West Point, and 
offered his services to the Confederacy. He was made a major general, and 
commanded a corps at Shiloh and Corinth. He offended his superiors by his 
conduct at the battle of Chickamauga, where it is said he disobeyed orders. 
He accompanied General Johnston in his campaign against Sherman, and 
near Kenesaw Mountain his head was carried away by a cannon-ball. 

Sterling Price was born in 1809, and represented Missouri in congress in 
1845-1846. As colonel of a regiment, he gained considerable success in the 
war with Mexico. He was elected governor of Missouri in 1853, serving for 
four years. He displayed no marked ability in the service of the Confederacy, 
and died in 1867. 

Raphael Semmes was born in 1809, and entered the naval service at an early 
age. After his escape from the Kearsarge when the Alabama went down, he 
was taken to England and succeeded in reaching the South, where he was 
made rear admiral. He was arrested at the close of the war, but released, and 
died in 1877. 


LINCOLN'S ADMINISTRATION 


385 


John Slidell, who was captured with Mason by Captain Wilkes, was born 
in 1794, and represented Louisiana in congress in 1843-1845, and from 1853 to 
1861 was United States senator from that State. He made his way to France 
after his release by our government, but did as little good for the Confederacy 
as did his associate in England. He died in 1871. 

Edmund Kirby Smith was born in 1824, and was educated at West Point. 
As has been shown, he rendered the Confederate army important services 
at Bull Run. He was appointed to the command of the Trans-Mississippi 
Department in 1863 and thoroughly organized it. His troops were the last to 
surrender in the civil war. He was engaged as a teacher at his death in 1893. 

Alexander H. Stephens was born in Georgia in 1812. He was graduated 
at Franklin College, became a lawyer, was elected to the state legislature, and 
from 1843 to ^59 was a member of congress from his native State. He was 
an ardent Union man, and did his utmost to combat secession, but when 
Georgia seceded he “ went with his State,” and was rewarded by being chosen 
vice president. At the close of the war he was elected to the United States 
senate, but was not allowed to take his seat. He was admitted in 1875 as 
congressman, and served uritil 1882, when he was elected governor of his State, 
but died in the following year. Stephens was universally respected for his fine 
personal qualities, aside from his remarkable ability. He was a small, pinched, 
withered-looking man, so weak that he was wheeled about for years in a 
carriage prepared for him, and to and from which he was carried by a power¬ 
ful negro. He was very generous and charitable, and helped to educate a 
great many poor young men. “ Liberty Hall,” his home, was always open to 
any one who chose to come, and any stranger was welcome to stay as long as 
he pleased. 

James E. B. Stuart, generally called “ Jeb” Stuart, because of his initials, 
was born in 1833, and was educated at West Point. He was the foremost 
cavalry leader of the Confederacy, and was mortally wounded at Yellow 
Tavern, while opposing Sheridan near the close of the war. 

Richard (“ Dick ”) Taylor was born in 1826, and was the son of President 
Zachary Taylor. He helped to carry Louisiana out of the Union, and fought 
hard against it until the last gun was fired. He died in 1879. 

Earl Van Dorn was born in 1820, and won many laurels in Mexico, being 
promoted for his gallant services. He succeeded Jefferson Davis as major 
general of the Mississippi troops, and in the following year had command of the 
Trans-Mississippi Department. He died in 1863. 


386 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


To the Pupil. — Complete the following skeleton history of the leading 
battles in the War for the Union, down to the last surrender: 


Name of Battle Where Fought 


Fort Sumter Charleston Harbor, S.C. 


Date 


April 12, 13, 1861 


Who Won 


Confederates 














Part VI 

THE PERIOD OF REUNION AND PROGRESS 


CHAPTER XXXVIII 


Johnson’s administration.— 1865-1869 


$tta$ka 


A 


' Peace. — At the close of the War for the 
Union, the armed hosts dissolved into orderly 
citizens of the great American republic. Few 
countries could have borne the disintegration 
of so immense an array of the best soldiers 
in the world. It would have brought anarchy 
and destruction, but nothing of the kind took 
place in the reunited States. Those who had 
£een enemies were now friends. The beauti¬ 
ful Memorial Day, which originated in the South, when mourn¬ 
ing relatives strewed the graves of the Confederate dead with 
flowers, was accompanied by a similar touching tribute to the 
Union heroes. 


1-nAva.u totem cuu) grecve. 


“The war drums throbbed no longer and the battle flags were furled.” 

Cost of the Civil War. —A careful estimate of the total number 
of soldiers furnished to the Union armies during the war is 
2,859,132. Of these 61,362 were killed in battle, 34,727 died 
of wounds, 183,287 of disease, making the total deaths 279,376, 
excluding 199,105 who deserted. On the Confederate side, the 
deaths from wounds and disease (partial statement) were 133,821, 

387 




388 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

deserted (partial statement) 104,428. It is further estimated that 
the number in both armies, crippled or disabled by disease, was 
about 400,000. It may be said, therefore, that the War for the 
Union cost 1,000,000 able-bodied men. The Confederate war 
debt was repudiated, while that of the United States, on the 31st 
of October, 1865, was $2,804,549,437.50, an amount too vast 
for any one to comprehend. 

What was settled Forever. — Two great questions, however, 
can vex the nation no more, for they were settled forever. They 
are secession and human slavery. The arbitrament of the sword 
closed the former, and the thirteenth amendment to the Constitu¬ 
tion, abolishing slavery, was ratified by 
the States, December 8, 1865, and became 
the supreme law of the land. 

Reconstruction. —Andrew Johnson, Vice 
President, was sworn into office as President 
immediately after the death of President 
Lincoln. In the excited state of public 
feeling, there was a misgiving that he would 
be violent in his treatment of those that 
had lately been arrayed against the Union. 
He was a passionate man, whose usage by 
the disunionists, who* once attempted to 
take him from a railway train and lynch ‘ him, made him feel 
bitter and resentful. His expressions at first showed there was 
ground for this fear, but before long his anger was turned, not 
toward the former secessionists, but against those who thwarted 
his policy for bringing back the late rebelling States to the Union. 

There was much discussion as to the right method of solving 
this problem. Since the North had insisted that no State had 
the right to secede, it followed that they had never really been 
out of the Union, but were simply in insurrection; and, resistance 
having ceased, they were back again, the same as before. But 
the danger of such a settlement was that the situation would be 
substantially as in 1861, and with no guarantee that at some time 



ANDREW JOHNSON 





JOHNSON ’ S ADM INIS TRA TION 


389 


the war would not be fought over again. Every lover of his 
country felt that the multitude of lives and vast treasure given 
that the Union might live should not be in vain. 

President Johnson recognized the state governments of Vir¬ 
ginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana, they having been 
organized under the protection of Union troops. Provisional 
governments were appointed in the other States, and arrange¬ 
ments made for the calling of conventions to form loyal govern¬ 
ments. The States accepted the opportunity thus offered them. 
They repealed the ordinances of secession, repudiated the Con¬ 
federate war debt, and ratified the constitutional amendment 
abolishing slavery. The President issued a proclamation of par¬ 
don to all who had taken part in secession, except several of the 
most prominent leaders, on the condition of their taking the 
oath of allegiance to the United States. Universal amnesty was 
declared on Christmas Day, 1868. 

Impeachment of President Johnson. — President Johnson of¬ 
fended congress by his method of reconstruction. That body 
claimed the right to fix the conditions on which the seceded 
States should re-enter the Union, and insisted, among other 
things, that each State should give the negroes the right to vote 
before their representatives should be allowed to take their seats. 
The President was obstinate and would not recede. He made a 
tour of the country, and during his “swinging around the circle," 
as he termed it, violently denounced his opponents. Congress 
then passed laws limiting his power to remove officers. He re¬ 
fused to obey the law, for which congress impeached him, — that 
is, charged him with “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The 
trial opened March 23, 1868, the senate being organized as a 
court, with Chief Justice Chase presiding. A decision was 
taken May 26, when thirty-five senators answered “guilty,” and 
nineteen, “not guilty.” Since a two-thirds vote was required, 
the President escaped conviction by a single vote. 

Fenian Troubles.—The Fenians are a society whose avowed 
object is the freeing of Ireland from English rule. Large 


390 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


amounts of money were subscribed and military preparations 
perfected in this country. On June i, 1866, fifteen hundred 
Fenians crossed the frontier from Buffalo, but the authorities 
speedily drove them back. The invasion was a violation of law, 
and a United States gunboat captured seven hundred of them. 
The privates were paroled, and the officers released on bail. 
Somewhat later the “Fenian army ” advanced from St. Albans, 
Vermont, and after skirmishing with the British troops retreated. 



YUKON RIVER, ALASKA 


General Meade, who had been ordered to the frontier, sent the 
men home at government expense, held the officers to bail, and 
the flurry ended. 

Purchase of Alaska. —In 1867, our government bought Alaska 
(previously known as Russian America) from Russia for the sum 
of $7,200,000. Including the islands, the area of Alaska is 
577 > 39 ° square miles. There was some good-natured criticism 
of the purchase, which was described as a land of fogs, snow, 
and desolation. The enormous trade in fisheries and seals which 









JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION 


391 


has since developed, however, has proven that the bargain was 
one of the best ever made by the United States. 

Execution of Maximilian. —Napoleon III was an unscrupulous 
adventurer and a bitter foe of the Union. He persuaded Maxi¬ 
milian, an archduke of Austria, that the Mexican people wanted 
him for their emperor, and his dupe went thither to serve our 
Southern neighbors as their ruler. The War for the Union being 
over, notice was served on Napoleon that he must leave. True 
to his nature, he promptly deserted Maximilian, withdrawing all 
the French troops from the country. Maximilian strove hard to 
establish a footing, but Juarez pressed him, and he was obliged 
to surrender May 15, 1867. He and his two generals, Miramon 
and Mejia (me-hu'a), were shot June 19. 

Successful Laying of the Atlantic Telegraph Cable. — It will be 
remembered that the Atlantic cable which was laid in 1858 
soon ceaSed to work. A successful attempt was made in July, 
1866. Since then others have been laid, so that for a long time 
we have had telegraphic communication around the world. 

Presidential Election of 1868. — In the autumn of 1868, General 
Grant and Schuyler Colfax were the Republican nominees for 
the presidency and vice presidency, while the Democratic candi¬ 
dates were Horatio Seymour and Frank P. Blair. The Republi¬ 
cans were successful by an electoral vote of two hundred and 
seventeen to seventy-seven. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas 
took no part in the election. 

TOPICS. —Peace; the impressive example shown by the United States; the 
total number of soldiers furnished to the Union armies; about the total num¬ 
ber of deaths; the deaths on the Confederate side; what the war for the 
Union cost in human lives ; the Confederate war debt; that of the United 
States ; the two great questions settled by the war ; the misgivings regarding 
President Johnson; his course; the problem of reconstruction; the States 
recognized by the President; what was done in the other States ; universal 
amnesty ; the President’s impeachment; the decision ; the Fenian troubles ; 
the purchase of Alaska; the execution of Maximilian ; successful laying of 
the Atlantic Telegraph Cable ; the presidential election of 1868. 


CHAPTER XXXIX 


grant’s administrations. — 1869-1877 


mm 







[OMPLETION of the Union Pacific Railway. — 

General Grant’s administration saw the com¬ 
pletion of a railway across the continent which 
was begun in 1863, though little work was 
done for two years. The first division of 
the road is from Omaha, Nebraska, to Ogden, 
Utah, a distance of one thousand arid thirty- 
two miles. The western division, known as 
the Central Pacific, connects Ogden with San Francisco, a dis¬ 
tance of eight hundred and sixty-two miles. On the 10th of 
May, 1869, the last tie, of polished laurel wood, bound with 
silver bands, connecting the line from the 
east with that from the west, was laid at 
Ogden. The tie was fastened in place by 
three spikes, one of gold, presented by 
California, one of silver, presented by Ne¬ 
vada, and one of gold, silver, and iron, 
presented by Arizona. The hammer strokes 
were telegraphed over the Union, and the 
locomotives, with their noses almost touch¬ 
ing, saluted each other. There was much 
speechmaking and rejoicing, for surely the 
event was a noteworthy one. 

Reconstruction Finished. —The first three months of 1870 saw 
the completion of the work of reconstruction. The senators and 
representatives of Virginia were admitted to their seats in con- 
' 392 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 








GRANT'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


393 


gress January 24; those of Mississippi February 23; and those of 
Texas on the 30th of March. On the last-mentioned date, the 
secretary of state issued a proclamation announcing the ratifica¬ 
tion of the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution. This 
amendment provides for negro suffrage. The blight of “carpet¬ 
bag ” rule, as it was termed, did not terminate, however, for a 
number of years. 



SAN FRANCISCO AND THE GOLDEN GATE 

Great Fire in Chicago.—On the evening of October 8, 1871, 
while an Irish woman was milking her cow in Chicago, the ani¬ 
mal kicked over the lamp and set fire to the stable. The flames 
spread on De Koven Street, and, fanned by a high wind, soon 
reached the lumber yards and frame houses in the vicinity. They 
next leaped across the south branch of the Chicago River and 
attacked the business portion of the city, expanding with fearful 
rapidity. When the conflagration had spent itself, the whole 
district between the north branch and the lake and as far north as 
Lincoln Park, nearly five miles in extent, was one mass of embers 
and ashes. Fully twenty thousand buildings were destroyed, 
probably two hundred and fifty lives lost, ninety-eight thousand 
five hundred people rendered homeless, and two hundred million 
dollars’ worth of property consumed. The Union responded 
nobly to the help of the stricken city, and the citizens went to 
work with a vigor that rebuilt the city almost within a year. 









394 A HISTORY of our country 


Disastrous Fire in 
Boston. —The turn of 
Boston came in No¬ 
vember of the same 
year. The fire, which 
lasted twenty - four 
hours, consumed the 
heart of the wholesale 
trade of the city. The 
burnt area was sixty 
acres in extent, and 
the loss seventy-five 
million dollars. 

The Geneva Arbitra¬ 
tion. — The violation 
of the laws of nations 
by England in fitting 
out and helping the 
Confederate cruisers 
was so flagrant, that 
our country now 
called her to account. 
It took a great deal 
of skilful diplomacy 
and considerable time before matters were brought to a focus, 
but a joint high commission met in Washington, February 27, 
1871. It was composed of five British and five American states¬ 
men. They agreed upon a treaty, May 8, which was ratified on 
the 26th of that month, by which it was pledged to submit the 
dispute to arbitration at Geneva, Switzerland. The arbitration 
tribunal met in that city June 15, 1872. Their decision was, 
tha,t England should pay the United States fifteen million five 
hundred thousand dollars, because of the depredations of the 
Alabama and other Confederate cruisers upon the commerce of 
the northern States, and the sum was paid. 


THE CHICAGO FIRE 





GRANT ’S AD MINIS TRA TIONS 


395 


The San Juan Boundary.—The treaty of 1846 with England 
defined our northwestern boundary to be a line running westward 
along the forty-ninth parallel to the middle of the channel sepa¬ 
rating the continent from Vancouver’s Island, and then southerly 
through the midde of the channel and of Fuca’s Strait to the 
Pacific Ocean. The trouble lay in the fact that there were several 
channels and each nation disputed as to which was meant. 
England’s claim gave her the island of San Juan, while our claim 
gave it to us. It was agreed to refer the question to the arbitra¬ 
tion of the emperor of Germany, who decided in our favor. 

The Presidential Election of 1872. — It was a singular presiden¬ 
tial election that took place in the autumn of 1872. President 
Grant was re-nominated by the Republicans, Henry Wilson of 
Massachusetts taking the place of Schuyler Colfax. Horace 
Greeley, who all his life had bitterly fought the Democratic 
party, now became its nominee for the presidency, with B. Gratz 
Brown of Missouri the candidate for the vice presidency. They 
were first nominated by the “Liberal Republicans,” and after¬ 
ward endorsed by the Democrats. Thousands of the latter re¬ 
fused to vote for the ticket, which was completely “snowed 
under,” the Republicans carrying thirty-one of the States, with 
a majority of seven hundred and sixty thcrusand, the largest ever 
received at a national election. Mr. Greeley was crushed by his 
defeat, lost his reason, and died within a month after election. 

Admission of Colorado. — Colorado, the thirty-eighth State, was 
admitted to the Union August 1, 1876, its constitution having 
been ratified by the people in July, 1876. The name is a Span¬ 
ish word, applied to that portion of the Rocky Mountains on 
account of its many colored peaks. It has more than thirty 
peaks nearly three miles in height. The country was explored 
in 1858 at two points, one near Pike’s Peak by a company from 
Kansas, and in the southwest by parties from Georgia. Each 
found gold. The Clear Creek deposits were discovered in 1859, 
and immigration began that year. The Territory was organized 
in 1861. Gold was plenty but hard to extract. The principal 


396 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

discoveries of silver were after 1870. It applied for admission 
to the Union in 1865-1867, but President Johnson vetoed the 
measure. Congress denied it again in 1873, and so it became 
the “centennial State.” Soon after, vast discoveries of carbon¬ 
ates of lead and silver were made, and its population trebled in 
five years. 

The Indians. — The troubles with the Indians date from the 
first settlement of our country. There was a fatal lack of fairness 
and justice on the part of nearly all who sought homes in the New 
World, and behind almost every Indian war the cause has been 
found to be the dishonesty of white men. When General Grant 
became President, he wished to treat the red men fairly. The 
Quakers or Friends, who are men of peace, were allowed to try 
their gentle means and did well. But they were opposed by the 
“Indian Ring,” one of the most corrupt of all bodies of politi¬ 
cians. Some of the best friends of the cause resigned, and in 
the end matters were as bad as before. 

The policy finally adopted was that of the United States setting 
aside certain tracts of lands, known as “reservations,” for the 
exclusive use of the Indians. So long as they stayed upon them 
they were not to be disturbed, and the amount assigned to each 
warrior was some six hundred acres. There are at present about 
a hundred Indian reservations, their area varying from the size 
of Rhode Island to that of New Hampshire and Vermont taken 
together. 

The principal reservation is Indian Territory, which has a 
status in law different from all the others. It is the home of the 
Five Civilized Tribes, — the Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasaws, 
Choctaws, and Seminoles. Each of these tribes is a “nation,” 
with a governor, a legislature, and judges selected by the Indians 
themselves, the whole modelled after our method of government. 
They have good schools, fine residences, banks, newspapers, 
lawyers, physicians, and, in fact, are fully civilized. 

The Modoc War.—The Indians, however, had been accus¬ 
tomed so long to wander at will to any distance they chose, that 


GRANT’S AD MINIS TRA TIONS 


39 7 


many of the wilder tribes looked with dislike upon the new order 
of things. They could not understand why they should be con¬ 
fined to any space except that of the whole country. They had 
good cause of complaint, however, in the fact that many of the 
reservations were barren and almost worthless. The Modocs, 
numbering only a few hundred, were removed from their fertile 
lands south of Oregon to a reservation so arid that they refused 
to stay. Returning to their former homes, they defied the gov¬ 
ernment to remove them. They took refuge among some lava 
beds, just over the line in northern California, where the region 



was so rough and broken that it was almost impossible for sol¬ 
diers to reach them. They were surrounded, and, on the nth 
of April, 1873, a conference was held with them by six members 
of the Peace Commission. The meeting was under a flag of 
truce. While in progress the Indians suddenly attacked the 
white men. General Edward R. S. Canby, the head of the Com¬ 
mission, and Dr. Thomas were killed and General Meachem was 
shot and stabbed, but by rapid flight he escaped with his life. 

The outrage ended all talk of peace with the Modocs. After 
persistent and hard work, the handful of warriors were cornered 
and compelled to surrender. Captain Jack and two chiefs, the 




398 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

most guilty, were hanged on the 3d of the following October. 
The rest were removed to a reservation in Dakota and have not 
given any trouble since. 



The Sioux Indian War.—The discovery of gold among the 
Black Hills attracted thousands of white men thither. Some of 
these were lawless and of an evil character. The region belonged 





GRANT'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


399 


to the Sioux Indians, one of the mo'st turbulent tribes in the 
country. The invasion gave the warriors an excuse for leaving 
their reservation and committing many outrages among the settlers 
in Wyoming and Montana. Generals Terry and Crook with a 
large force of regulars marched into the Upper Yellowstone 
country and drove Sitting Bull and several thousand warriors 
toward the Big Horn Mountains and River. 



COMANCHE, CAPTAIN KEOGH’S HORSE 


Generals Custer and Reno, advancing with the Seventh Cav¬ 
alry, found the Indians encamped for nearly three miles along the 
left bank of the Little Big Horn River. Without waiting for 
reinforcements, Custer charged upon them. It was a reckless 
act, and a fearful penalty was paid, for the warriors, quickly 
rallying, overwhelmed the whole attacking force. Custer and 
his men fought with desperate bravery, but the only living creature 
belonging to his command that came out of the awful fray was 







400 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


the horse of Captain Keogh. He was so badly wounded that the 
Indians turned him loose to die. He was afterward found and 
tenderly cared for, until he died of old age. General Reno, 
who was fighting the Sioux at the lower end of the encampment, 
held his ground until the'arrival of reinforcements under Gen¬ 
eral Gibbon. The Seventh Cavalry, in this massacre of the 
25th of June, 1876, lost two hundred and sixty-one killed and 
fifty-two wounded. The Sioux received several defeats later, 
and, after considerable negotiation, returned to their reservation 
in Dakota. 

The Centennial. — The one hundredth anniversary of American 
independence was celebrated by a grand exhibition at Fairmount 
Park, Philadelphia. The following nations took part: The Ar¬ 
gentine Confederation, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, 
China, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, France (including Algeria), 
German Empire, Great Britain and her colonies, Greece, Guate¬ 
mala, Hawaii, Hayti, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Mexico, 
Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Orange Free State, Persia, 
Peru, Portugal, Russia, Siam, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunis, 
Turkey, United States of Colombia, and Venezuela. 

To provide for the display of the various articles from the dif¬ 
ferent nations, five principal buildings were erected. These 
were: the Main Building, eighteen hundred and seventy-six feet 
long and four hundred and sixty-four feet wide; the Art Gallery 
or Memorial Hall, the Machinery Hall, the Agricultural Hall, 
and the Horticultural Hall. President Grant formally opened 
the Exposition May 10, and closed it six months later. During 
the period that it remained open, the daily attendance rose from 
five thousand to two hundred and seventy-five thousand. The 
whole number of visitors was a little less than ten millions, and 
the total receipts were $3,761,598. 

Presidential Election of 1876.—The presidential contest of 
this year threatened grave trouble to the country. The Repub¬ 
lican nominees were Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. 
Wheeler, and the Democratic, Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. 


GRANT'S ADMINISTRATIONS 


401 


Hendricks. Each party claimed the election and charged the 
other with fraud. The situation became so threatening that con¬ 
gress passed a bill creating an electoral commission to decide 
the dispute. This commission consisted of five senators, ap¬ 
pointed by the Vice President (three Republicans and two Demo¬ 
crats), five representatives, appointed by the speaker (three 
Democrats and two Republicans), and five judges of the supreme 
court (three Republicans and two Democrats). This gave the 
Republicans eight members and the Democrats seven, and by 
that vote the commission, on the 2d of March, 1877, declared 
the Republican candidates elected. 


TOPICS. — The completion of the Union Pacific Railway ; completion of the 
work of reconstruction ; account of the great fire in Chicago ; in Boston ; 
work of the Geneva arbitration ; settlement of the San Juan boundary ; the 
presidential election of 1872 ; admission of Colorado ; its early history ; 
causes of all the troubles with the Indians ; the policy finally adopted by our 
government; the principal reservation ; the Five Civilized Tribes ; why many 
of the Indians opposed the reservation policy ; causes of complaint on the 
part of the Modocs ; their attack upon the peace commissioners ; the conse¬ 
quences ; cause of the Sioux war ; the Custer massacre ; the Centennial at 
Fairmount Park ; number of visitors and total receipts ; the presidential 
election of 1876 ; how the grave dispute was settled. 

Biographical Notes. — Horace Greeley was born in 1811 in New Hamp¬ 
shire. When a young man he edited the Evening Post, the first daily penny 
paper ever published, and in 1834 founded the New Yorker. He was con¬ 
nected with other papers, and in 1841 issued the first number of the A T ew York 
Tribune , which speedily became the most influential journal in America. It 
was Whig, and then anti-slavery Whig, and employed the ablest writers in the 
country on its staff. Mr. Greeley himself had no superior in wielding a vigorous 
and trenchant pen. In 1848-1849 he was in congress, and during the civil 
war his paper made many powerful appeals to the President, who was not 
always radical enough to please the impetuous editor. With peace Mr. 
Greeley became an advocate of universal amnesty. He was one of the bonds¬ 
men of Jefferson Davis in 1867. He was eccentric in dress and manner, 
honest, frank, and outspoken. He made many admirable speeches during his 
strange presidential campaign of 1872, which was the fatal mistake of his life. 

Edward R. S. Canby was born in Kentucky in 1819, and served in the 
Seminole and the Mexican wars. In conjunction with Farragut’s fleet he 


2 D 


402 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


captured the city of Mobile in 1865. We have learned of his death at the 
hands of the Modoc Indians. 

Rutherford B. Hayes, nineteenth president, was born at Delaware, Ohio, 
October 4, 1822. He was graduated from Kenyon College at the age of 
twenty, and became a lawyer in Cincinnati. He volunteered at the outbreak 
of the civil war, entering the service as major and rising to the rank of brevet 
major general. His services were gallant and valuable. He represented Ohio 
in congress in 1865, and was governor of the State from 1868 to 1872, and 
again in 1875. The last political victory was won on the “ honest money ” 
issue as it was called. It attracted national attention, and caused his nomina¬ 
tion for the presidency in 1876. It is unfortunate that his title to the presi¬ 
dency was tainted with suspicion. After the close of his term he lived in 
retirement at his home in Fremont, Ohio, where he died January 17, 1893. 


CHAPTER XL 


HAYES’S ADMINISTRATION. I 877—1881 



■jX VJcatcvn ^tcambont 


! 0Ugssiss5ippi|^^^|AILWAY Strike. — Rutherford Burchard 
Hayes’s administration was uneventful as a 
whole, but accompanied by several stirring 
events, the most disturbing being a great 
railway strike. This began on the Baltimore 
and Ohio on the 14th of July, 1877, and 
was caused by a reduction of wages of its 
employees. The Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers, the most conservative of all the labor organizations, 
gave their sympathy, and at one time one hundred thousand 
men were idle and six thousand miles of railway blocked. The 
militia, as a rule, sympathized with the strikers, and proved 
so ineffective that an appeal was made to 
the United States government. Rioting 
occurred in many quarters, and the scenes 
of violence were widespread. At Pitts¬ 
burg, millions of dollars’ worth of prop¬ 
erty were destroyed and many lives lost. 

Several weeks passed before order was 
fully restored. 

Resumption of Specie Payments. — In 

accordance with the law passed in 1875, 
the resumption of specie payments by our 
government was effected January 1, 1879. 

At that time the treasury contained one hundred and thirty-eight 
million dollars in gold, which was forty per cent of the out- 

403 



RUTHERFORD B. HAYES 





404 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



standing bonds. The public credit was so improved by that 
step, that on January i, only eleven million dollars in bonds 
were offered for redemption. The dreaded problem of the re¬ 
sumption of specie payments proved to be no problem at all. 

Fishery Dispute 
with Great Britain. — 
The dispute over the 
fishery question be¬ 
came so involved 
that Great Britain 
and the United States 
agreed to refer its 
final settlement to an 
arbitration commis¬ 
sion, one member to 
be appointed by 
Queen Victoria, one 
by President Hayes, 
and a third by the 
Austrian ambassador 
to the Court of St. 
James. This com¬ 
mission, in Novem¬ 
ber, 1877, decided 
that the United States 
should pay to Eng¬ 
land the sum of five 
million dollars. It 
was an unjust verdict, 
and more favorable to England than she expected, but our gov¬ 
ernment decided to pay it, and did so in the autumn of 1878. 

Presidential Election of 1880. —A strong effort was made, but 
failed, to renominate General Grant for a third term. The 
Republican candidates were James A. Garfield and Chester A. 
Arthur, and the Democratic, General Winfield S. Hancock and 


RIOT AT PITTSBURG 



' HAYES'S ADMINISTRATION 


405 


William H. English. The Republicans were successful by an 
electoral vote of 214 to 155. 

TOPICS. — The great railway strike of 1877 ; the resumption of specie pay¬ 
ments ; settlement of the fishery dispute with Great Britain ; the presidential 
election of 1880. 

BIOGRAPHICAL Notes. — Winfield S. Hancock was born in Pennsylvania 
in 1824, and was graduated twenty years later from the military academy at 
West Point. His gallantry in the Mexican war won him the brevet of first 
lieutenant, and he entered the civil war a brigadier general of volunteers. 
Joining the Army of the Potomac, he served under McClellan on the Peninsula 
and was prominent in all the leading battles in Virginia. To him, as much as 
to any one man, was due the great victory at Gettysburg. His services were 
of the most brilliant nature and caused him to be made major general in the 
regular army at the close of the war. He was a courteous gentleman, held in 
high esteem by the whole country, and his death, in 1886, was universally 
regretted. 

James A. Garfield, twentieth President, was born at Orange, Cuyahoga 
county, Ohio, November 19, 1831. He spent his boyhood in the backwoods 
and gained rugged health and strength. When a large boy he served as 
driver for a canal boat. At the age of sixteen he attended the high school at 
Chester and was a proficient student. He entered Hiram College in 1851, and 
three years later became an instructor in the institution. He was elected to 
the State senate, and at the breaking out of the civil war was president of the 
college. He entered the military service and made a fine record. He was 
chief of staff to General Rosecrans, and took a prominent part in the great 
battle of Chickamauga. He attained the rank of major general, and while 
serving in the field was elected to congress. He would have preferred to 
remain a soldier, but accepted political office at the earnest request of President 
Lincoln. He served for seventeen years, and was then elected to the senate, 
but did not take his seat because of his nomination for the presidency, which 
quickly followed. 

Chester A. Arthur, twenty-first President, was born in Franklin county, 
Vermont, October 5, 1830, and was graduated from Union College in 1849. 
After teaching school for a time in his native State, he removed to the city 
of New York and studied law, in which profession he achieved much suc¬ 
cess. During the civil war he was quartermaster general of the State, and 
was appointed collector of the port, serving until July 12, 1878. He died 
November 18, 1886. 


CHAPTER XLI 


GARFIELD AND ARTHUR’S ADMINISTRATIONS. 188 I —1885 

SSASSINATION of President Garfield. — James 
A. Garfield, the new President, like the great 
Lincoln, was called upon to die the death 
of a martyr before the completion of his 
work. On the 2d of July, 1881, accompanied 
by Secretary Blaine and several friends, he 
rode to the Baltimore railway station with the 
intention of joining his invalid wife at the 
seashore. While talking with Mr. Blaine, a miscreant named 
Guiteau shot him in the back with a pistol. The wounded 
President was carried to the executive mansion and the assassin 
was hurried off to prison. 

Although painfully wounded, the belief 
was general that the President would re¬ 
cover. He received the best of medical 
care, and, on the 6th of September, was 
removed to Elberon, New Jersey, where it 
was hoped that the cool sea breezes would 
bring back health and strength to his wasted 
frame; but on the 19th of the month he 
quietly breathed his last. His assassin was 
hanged on the 30th of the following June. 

0 ^ 0 J JAMES A. GARFIELD 

Anti-Mormon Legislation. — We have 
learned about the sect known as Mormons. They committed 
outrages, defied the government, and continued to vex it in 
many ways. The severest blow against them was the passage of 

406 








GARFIELD AND ARTHUR’S ADMINISTRATIONS 407 



CHESTER A. ARTHUR 


a law, in 1882, which disfranchised and made ineligible to office 
all polygamists. They were incensed at first, but soon accepted 
what they could not help. Ten years later, President Harrison 
issued a proclamation of amnesty, the Mormons having given 
satisfactory evidence of compliance with 
the law. Polygamy seems to have been 
effectually suppressed, as it might have 
been long before. 

Anti-Chinese Legislation.—The influx 
of Chinese into California, and their 
readiness to work for wages which will 
not support an American, caused great 
opposition to them. During the Hayes 
administration, in 1879, a bill passed 
congress forbidding the immigration of 
Chinese laborers to this country, and 
compelling those here to take out certificates upon their leaving 
the United States, so that their identity might be proved if they 
sought to come back. The President vetoed the bill, but it 
became a law three years later. 

The Yorktown Centennial. — When the centennial celebrations 
began, with the anniversary of the battle of Lexington, they con¬ 
tinued eight years and more. The most notable of these cele¬ 
brations was that at Yorktown, Virginia, which opened October 
18, 1881. Among those who took part were President Arthur 
and his cabinet, visitors from Germany and France (among the 
latter being the Marquis of Rochambeau, a descendant of our 
ally in the Revolution), numerous governors, distinguished citi¬ 
zens, and an imposing military and naval display. 

Lieutenant Greely’s Expedition. — In 1880, an international 
polar commission proposed that different countries should unite 
in establishing meteorological stations in the polar regions. 
Congress made an appropriation for two such stations, Point 
Barrow, in Alaska, and Lady Franklin Bay, in Grinnell Land. 
The party for Lady Franklin Bay consisted of First Lieutenant 


408 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


ARCTIC REGIONS 



Adolphus W. Greely, U.S.A., commander; Lieutenants F. S. 
Kislingbury and James B. Lockwood, U.S.A., as assistants; and 
Dr. O. Pavy as surgeon and naturalist. In addition, there were 
twenty-two sergeants, corporals, and privates, and two Eskimos. 

A relief expedition 
in 1883 failed to 
reach Lady Franklin 
Bay, and Greely and 
his party were thus 
left in great peril. 
They suffered in¬ 
credible hardships, 
not only from the 
fearful cold, but for 
lack of provisions, 
which they had ex¬ 
pected to obtain from 
the relief expedition. 
On the 13th of May, 
1882, Lieutenant 
Lockwood, Sergeant 
Brainard, and one of 
the Eskimos attained 
a point whose lati¬ 
tude was 83° 24' 30" 
north, and whose 
longitude was 40° 46' 
30" west of Green¬ 
wich. This is the 
most northern latitude which had until then been reached by man. 
On the 7th of April, 1895, however, Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, the 
Norwegian explorer, penetrated northward to 86° 15', a point 
nearly two hundred miles nearer the North Pole than any pre¬ 
ceding explorer had reached, and within about two hundred and 
twenty-five miles of the Pole itself. 


—mm 








GARFIELD AND ARTHUR'S ADMINISTRATIONS 409 


Lieutenant Lockwood did not live to return home, dying April 
9, 1884, from starvation. Commander Schley sailed from the 
Brooklyn navy yard in May, 1884, with three ships, to search for 
Greely and his companions. They were found in the latter part 
of June, near Cape Sabine. Only seven were alive, and they 
were suffering the pangs of starvation. They were nursed with 
extreme care, but one of the men died at Disco Harbor. The 
relief expedition, with the others, arrived at St.John’s July 17, 
and reached New York August 8. 

Important Legislation. — Among the important laws made 
during the administration of President Arthur was a civil service 
bill, in 1883, regulating by means of examinations the system of 
civil service appointments and promotions; the reduction of 
letter postage from three to two cents for each half-ounce (1883), 
which was made two cents an ounce in 1885; and the organiza¬ 
tion of Alaska, in 1884, into a civil and judicial district, with 
the temporary seat of government at Sitka. 

Presidential Election of 1884.—The Democratic candidates 
for President and Vice President in 1884 were Grover Cleveland 
and Thomas A. Hendricks; the Republi¬ 
can nominees were James G. Blaine and 
General John A. Logan. A slender ma¬ 
jority in New York gave Mr. Cleveland 
the vote of the State, and brought him 
two hundred and nineteen electoral votes 
to one hundred and eighty-two cast for 
Mr. Blaine. 

TOPICS. —The assassination of President Gar¬ 
field; anti-Mormon legislation; anti-Chinese 
legislation; the Yorktown Centennial; the inter¬ 
national polar commission; the stations provided 

for by congress; the party for Lady Franklin Bay; failure-of the relief expe¬ 
dition; the most northernmost point attained; the subsequent achievement 
of Dr. Nansen; rescue of the Greely survivors; civil service legislation; re¬ 
ducing letter postage; organization of Alaska; presidential election of 1884. 



GENERAL JOHN A. LOGAN 





4io 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Biographical Notes. — Adolphus W. Greely was born in Maine in 
1844, and, volunteering in the civil war, was brevetted major for his services. 
He joined the signal service, and, after his return from his famous arctic expe¬ 
dition, was made chief of the signal service from 1887 to 1892, his promotion 
to a brigadier general having taken place in 1887. 

Grover Cleveland, twenty-second President, was born at Caldwell, New Jer¬ 
sey, March 18, 1837. He received his education in the public schools, and 
became a teacher in an institution for the blind, at Clinton, New York. Re¬ 
moving to Buffalo in 1855, he was admitted to the bar three years later. His 
success was decided. Entering political life in 1863, he filled in turn the 
offices of assistant district attorney, sheriff, and mayor. He was elected gov¬ 
ernor of New York State, in 1882, by the unprecedented majority of 192,854. 
This vote attracted national attention, and caused his nomination for the presi¬ 
dency before the end of his gubernatorial term. After the expiration of his 
second term, he made his home at Princeton, N. J. 


CHAPTER XLII 


Cleveland’s first administration. — 1885-1889 

LAVE Dangers averted.—Grave dangers have 
been averted by the passage of the presi¬ 
dential succession law, in 1886, which pro¬ 
vides that, in the event of the death of the 
President and Vice President, the order of 
succession shall be the secretaries of state, 
of the treasury, of war, the attorney general, 
the postmaster general, and the secretaries of 
the navy, of the interior, and of agriculture 
Anarchist Troubles in Chicago.—A great deal of trouble was 
caused by numerous labor strikes. In Chicago, while the police, 
on May 4, 1886, were dispersing a mob of murderous anarchists, 
one of them hurled a dynamite bomb 
among the officers. Before any one 
could avoid the danger, the bomb ex¬ 
ploded, killing seven policemen, crip¬ 
pling eleven for life, and wounding a 
number of others. The most guilty of 
the anarchists were tried and hanged. 

Since then a reaction has set in, and 
the pestilent wretches give the country 
little trouble. 

Earthquake in Charleston. —The coun¬ 
try was startled, in the summer and early 
autumn of 1886, by a number of violent earthquake shocks which 
visited Charleston. The city was cut off from telegraphic com- 






412 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


munication for several hours, and the dread was general that it 
had met the fate of Lisbon more than a century before. The 
earth-tremors were felt in other parts of the country, but in none 
so severely as at Charleston, where the damages were so great 
that two-thirds of the city had to be rebuilt. About one hun¬ 
dred people were killed, with a loss of property approaching 
ten million dollars. 

Subjection of the Apaches. — For years the comparatively small 
tribe of Apaches had spread terror in the Southwest. They were 
the most terrible red men on this continent. In endurance, 
treachery, daring, and cunning they have never been surpassed 
by any people. Our army, after incredible suffering and bravery, 
in the flaming climate of Arizona and the neighborhood, suc¬ 
ceeded in running down the pests and forced them to submit to 
the authority of the government. Geronimo (he-ron'i-mo), their 
most noted leader, with his brother chiefs and their families, were 
brought eastward, where, being beyond all danger of doing harm, 
tjiey have ever since been “good Indians.” 

Presidential Election of 1888. — In the election of this year, 
the Republican candidates were Benjamin Harrison and Levi P. 
Morton. Those of the Democrats were Grover Cleveland and 
Allen G. Thurman. The election resulted in the success of the 
Republican ticket by the electoral vote of two hundred and thirty- 
three to one hundred and sixty-eight. 

TOPICS. —The presidential succession law; the anarchistic troubles in 
Chicago; the earthquake in Charleston; the Apaches of the Southwest; their 
conquest; Geronimo; the presidential election of 1888. 

Biographical Notes. — Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third President, was 
born at North Bend, Ohio, August 20, 1833. His father was a farmer; his 
grandfather, governor, general, and President; and his great-grandfather one 
of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. While yet a lad, Benjamin 
entered Miami University, where he was graduated in 1852. Upon his admis¬ 
sion to the bar, he established himself in Indianapolis, which has since been 
his home. He volunteered shortly after the breaking out of the war, and 
remained to its close, winning the brevet of brigadier general for ability, 
energy, and gallantry. He was elected to the United States senate in 1881. 


CHAPTER XLIII 


harrison’s administration.— 1889-1893 



HE Johnstown Flood. — The Conemagh valley, 
some twenty miles in length, was desolated, 
on the 31st of May, 1889, by the most de¬ 
structive flood in the history of our country. 
Johnstown is thirty-nine miles west-southwest 
of Altoona, Pennsylvania, and seventy-eight 
miles east-by-south of Pittsburg. It con¬ 
tained twenty-eight thousand inhabitants, 
and was the seat of the Cambria iron works, which gave employ¬ 
ment to six thousand men. At the head of the winding valley, 
eighteen miles away, stood Conemagh Lake, the most extensive 
reservoir of water in the world. It was two and a half miles 
long and one and a half miles wide at the greatest width. In 
many places the lake was a hundred feet in depth. The dam 
was about a fifth of a mile wide, one hundred and ten feet 
high, and ninety feet thick at the base. 

This enormous structure suddenly gave way before the incon¬ 
ceivable pressure, and sliding outward, released the prodigious 
mass of water, which plunged forward with a speed of more than 
two miles a minute! Within seven minutes of the bursting of 
the dam, the water had reached a point eighteen miles down the 
valley. Houses, trees, wagons, and ponderous locomotives were 
tossed about like so many corks. The appalling flood was upon 
Johnstown before the people knew their peril. Nothing could 
stay the rush of waters for an instant, until, gorged with thou¬ 
sands of tons of debris, it struck the railway bridge below Johns- 

413 




414 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


town. That stood like a granite mountain. The wreckage was 
quickly piled to a width of an eighth of a mile. It became a 
solid mass of houses, logs, timber, machinery, iron in all forms, 
furniture, and household utensils, through which was interwoven 
hundreds of miles of barbed wire. Imprisoned in their houses 
by the wrenching of the structures were hundreds of persons. 
Before anything could be done to relieve them, fire broke out in 
numerous places, and many were burned to death. 

The loss of life can never be known. It was officially given as 
twenty-two hundred and eighty, of which seven hundred and 
forty-one bodies were unidentified. It has been claimed that 
the actual loss was five thousand, which is 
probably not far from the truth. The 
great calamity awoke sympathy through¬ 
out the Union, and prompt measures were 
taken for the relief of the survivors. The 
remains of some of those that were lost 
were not found until after two years. On 
the 14th of November, 1892, at the pay¬ 
ment of the annuity provided for the 
flood orphans, twenty thousand three 
hundred and twenty-five dollars were dis¬ 
tributed. Each orphan under sixteen 
years of age received seventy-five dollars, the beneficiaries being 
two hundred and seventy-one in number. 

Massacre of Italians at New Orleans. —On the 5th of October, 
1890, David C. Hennessy, chief of police of New Orleans, was 
shot down at his own door and. had barely time to say that the 
“Dagos” did it, when he died. He had been very active in 
unearthing many crimes among the Italians, and had incurred 
their enmity. The outrage convinced the citizens that they had 
among them many members of the “ Mafia ” organization, a soci¬ 
ety of oath-bound assassins. The whole city was, thrown into 
intense excitement. On the 20th of November, the grand jury 
indicted eleven Italians for murder and eight others as accessories 



BENJAMIN HARRISON 




HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION 


415 


before the fact. February 6, following, the district attorney 
arraigned six of the indicted persons and three of the accessories. 
The jury acquitted six, two of whom the presiding judge had 
directed them to declare innocent, and in the other three cases a 
mistrial was entered. 

The city was incensed by this miscarriage of justice, being 
satisfied that the jury had been bribed by a noted corruptionist, 
who fled in time to save himself. A mob broke into the jail, 
March 14, and lynched the eleven Sicilians confined there. 
Many prominent people took part, and all sympathized with the 
populace. Italy angrily demanded reparation. Secretary Blaine 
replied with dignity, promising to take every possible step to 
secure justice, but gave Italy to understand that it would be done 
in our own way, and that we would accept no dictation from her. 
The situation at one time was threatening, and there was much 
talk of war. Gradually, however, Italy saw her blundering and 
gracefully apologized. Our government voluntarily paid the 
families of the victims that were Italian citizens a generous sum 
of money, and in the end Italy and the United States became 
stronger friends than before. 

Threatened War with Chile. — A more dangerous complication 
threatened our relations with Chile. On the 16th of October, 
1891, some forty men of the crew of the American war steamer 
Baltimore , lying in the harbor of Valparaiso, obtained leave to 
go ashore. All were in uniform and unarmed. One of the 
Americans became involved in a quarrel with a Chilean, and in 
a few minutes the whole party were set upon by an armed mob 
largely their superior in numbers. Charles W. Riggin, boat¬ 
swain’s mate of the Baltimore , was killed, and many of the 
sailors were seriously wounded, one of them subsequently dying. 
Thirty-five of the Americans were arrested and hurried to prison, 
but were set free, as no criminal charge could lie against them. 

Captain W. S. Schley of the Baltunore (the rescuer of Greely 
and his party at Cape Sabine) was directed to make an investiga¬ 
tion of the origin and incidents of the tragedy and to communi- 


41 6 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

cate with the United States government at Washington and the 
minister at Santiago (sahn-ti-ah'go). The result proved that 
Chile had committed an outrage against our flag. She was called 
upon to apologize and to pay an indemnity to the sufferers and 
to the families of those that had been killed in the assault. 
Chile, however, was defiant. She was sharply called to account, 
and, still dallying, preparations were made for war against her. 
Finally, she made the required acknowledgment and sent to our 
government a liberal indemnity for those who had a just claim 
upon it. 

The Indian Uprising of 1890-1891. — For months during 1890 
a strange craze raged among the Indians, until it involved the 

most warlike and dan¬ 
gerous tribes in the 
Northwest and West. 
The belief was gen¬ 
eral that the Indian 
Messiah was about to 
come and restore the 
hunting - grounds to 
the Indians and drive 
out the white men. 
“ Ghost dances ” were 
held and the faith 
preached with frantic 
eloquence by those engaged in spreading the new doctrine among 
the tribes, until thousands clamored to take the war-path. 

Sitting Bull, the great medicine man of the Sioux, and a dis¬ 
turber for years, took advantage of the general discontent to stir 
up resentment against the white people, whom he had always 
hated. He became so dangerous a factor in the trouble, that his 
arrest was determined upon. On the morning of December 15, 
1890, the Indian police, under Bull Head and Shave Head, fol¬ 
lowed at a distance by United States cavalry, entered Sitting 
Bull’s camp, forty miles northwest of Fort Yates, North Dakota. 



INDIAN GHOST DANCERS 










HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION 


41 7 



His companions resisted 
his arrest, and in the 
flurry Sitting Bull, his 
son Crowfoot, and six 
other warriors were 
killed. Four of the Ind¬ 
ian police, among them 
Bull Head, the leader, 
lost their lives. The rest 
of Sitting Bull’s band 


SIOUX BOYS ON ENTERING CARLISLE SCHOOL 


ON GRADUATION 


fled to the “ Bad 
Lands ” of Da¬ 
kota. Some of 
them, however, 
were persuaded 
to return to the 
Pine Ridge 
agency. While 
a large band 
was making a 
pretence of sur¬ 
rendering their 
arms to the Sev¬ 
enth Cavalry, 
near Wounded 












418 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



Knee Creek, December 28, they suddenly opened fire on the 
soldiers, who, it may be said, were at their elbows. The fire 
was returned, and for a brief while the fiercest kind of a battle 
raged. Twenty-eight soldiers were killed and thirty wounded, 

while many of the 


Indians were shot 
down. When the 
survivors fled, it 
looked as if noth¬ 
ing could avert a 
frightful Indian 
war. Several skir¬ 
mishes took place 
and numbers were 
killed on both 
sides, but by rare 
tact and good 
judgment the for¬ 
midable band of 
hostiles were in¬ 
duced to move 
toward the agency. 
It was very slow 
and many times 
threatened to end 
in an outbreak, 
but finally, on the 
15th of January, all the Indians came in, made their submission, 
and the danger was over. 

Admission of New States. — A number of new States were 
admitted to the Union during Harrison’s .administration. North 
and South Dakota came in November 3, 1889. The name 
Dakota means “league” or “allied tribes.” The two Dakotas 
were a part of the Louisiana purchase of 1803. The capital was 
established at Yankton, where the first legislature convened, 


SIOUX GRAVES 







HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION 


419 


March 17, 1862. In 1883, the capital was removed to Bismarck. 
The separation into two States took place in 1889. 

Montana became a State November 8, 1889; Idaho, July 3; 
and Wyoming, July 10, 1890, making the full number forty-four. 
The name Montana is from a Spanish word referring to the moun¬ 
tains. Montana was a part of Idaho Territory until May 26, 
1864, when it was organized into a separate Territory. The 
origin of the name Idaho has never been clearly established, but 
it is supposed to be an Indian word signifying “gem of the 
mountains.” Until 1863, Idaho was a part of Oregon Territory, 
and when first organized was made up of portions of Oregon, 
Washington, Utah, and Nebraska. In 1864 its boundaries were 
changed and a part added to Montana. The name of Wyoming 
was carried westward by settlers from Wyoming valley, Pennsyl¬ 
vania, and in the Indian tongue it signifies “great plain.” It 
assumed form as a Territory July 10, 1868. 

Presidential Election of 1892. — In the election of this year, 
the Republican candidates were President Harrison, with White- 
law Reid for Vice President. The Democratic nominees were 
ex-President Cleveland and Adlai Stevenson. The Democrats 
were successful by an electoral vote of two hundred and seventy- 
seven to one hundred and forty-five. 

TOPICS. —The extent of Conemagh valley, Pennsylvania; the location and 
size of the immense reservoir of water; the size of the dam; the yielding of 
the dam; velocity of the mass of water; the ruin it accomplished; the check 
at the railway bridge; the loss of life; the money distributed among the sur¬ 
vivors; the provision for the orphans; the shooting of Chief Hennessy in New 
Orleans; the miscarriage of justice; the lynching of the Italians; the demand 
of Italy; adjustment of the dispute; the attack upon American sailors at Val¬ 
paraiso; the investigation made by Captain Schley; settlement of the diffi¬ 
culty; the “ghost dances” among the Indians of the West; the course of 
Sitting Bull; his death at the hands of the Indian police; action of the Ind¬ 
ians; the battle of Wounded Knee; bringing in of the hostiles to the Pine 
Ridge agency; the admission of North and South Dakota; their early his¬ 
tory; the admission of Montana; of Idaho; of Wyoming; the early history 
of the States; the presidential election of 1892. 


CHAPTER XLIV 


Cleveland’s second administration. — 1893-1897 



Tfl.odcvn ©cean Steamship 


[HE Second Inauguration of President Cleveland. 

— The first President elected with an inter¬ 
val between his first and second terms was 
Grover Cleveland. The day of his second 
inauguration will always be memorable for 
its snow, sleet, cold, and storms. Never¬ 
theless, the capital was crowded with visitors 
from every part of the country, and at the 
imposing military parade in the afternoon 
nearly fifty thousand men were in line. The President delivered 
his inaugural bareheaded, in a bitterly cold wind, which hurled 
the snow among the shivering spectators on the stand and against 
the face of the President himself. His inaugural was a plain, 
well-conceived address, acceptable not only to the listeners, 
but to the country at large. 

Repeal of the Purchase Clause of the Sherman Bill. — A finan¬ 
cial stringency visited the country in the summer and autumn of 
1893. A general lack of confidence caused widespread distress, 
and as the winter approached there was much suffering, especially 
in the large cities. But for the sympathy shown in practical 
form by the more favored ones, the lack of work and food would 
have been felt much more keenly than was the case. It was 
believed by many that the so-called Sherman Bill, which pro¬ 
vided for the monthly coinage of a large amount of silver, was 
one of the causes of the financial trouble. President Cleveland 
convened congress in extraordinary session, August 7, and recom- 

420 


CLE VELAND' S SECOND ADMINISTRATION 42 I 

mended the body to repeal the purchase clause of the Sherman 
act. A measure to that effect was promptly passed by the house, 
but was delayed a long time in the senate. The senators from 
States like Idaho and Nevada, where the silver industry is one 
of the chief sources of income, strongly opposed the passage of 
the measure. For a time it seemed doomed to fail. Tiresome 
speeches were spun out for hours and days, for no other purpose 
than to obstruct legislation. Finally, October 30, the bill passed, 
and was immediately signed by the President. 



BRIDGE IN CHICAGO 


The World’s Columbian Exposition. —The year 1893 will always 
be a memorable one in the history of our country, since it wit¬ 
nessed the grandest of all celebrations of the discovery of America 
by Columbus. The four hundredth anniversary of course arrived 
in 1892, but the preparations to hold the exposition in Chicago 
(which city congress selected as the site of the exposition) were 
on so vast a scale that they could not be completed in time. 
The celebration, therefore, was deferred until the following year. 

The Columbian Naval Review. — The part taken by the govern¬ 
ment in this great celebration was opened by a grand review of 








422 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


the war-ships of the leading nations of the world. They came 
together at Hampton Roads, Virginia, converging from points 
on the globe thousands of miles apart. Then they steamed north¬ 
ward to New York, where the naval review took place, April 27. 
The war-ships numbered thirty-five, without the three Columbus 
caravels sent by Spain and presented to the United States. 
These ships were ranged in two lines in the Hudson, extending 
a distance of three miles. They represented the United States, 
Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, Spain, Brazil, 



U. S. CRUISER CHARLESTON 


Holland, and Argentina. Between these lines steamed the 
American steel-clad yacht Dolphin , bearing President Cleveland 
and his cabinet. As they came opposite each magnificent war¬ 
ship, it thundered an earth-quaking salute. Napoleon, Alex¬ 
ander, nor any of the monarchs or conquerors of the world, ever 
received so impressive a tribute as the President of the United 
States. 

The Exposition in Chicago. — Congress appropriated ten mill¬ 
ion dollars and the different States set apart large sums by which 
the success of the exposition was assured from the first. Jackson 
Park was selected as the site of the buildings devoted to the pur- 











CLEVELAND'S SECOND ADMINISTRATION 423 

poses of the fair. This beautiful park is on the shore of Lake 
Michigan and includes five hundred and thirty-three acres, the 
Midway Plaisance eighty acres, and Washington Park, serving as 
an entrance to the exhibition, three hundred and seventy-one 
acres. Having a frontage of two miles on the lake, the site 
could not have been improved. 

The structures were dedicated on the 21st of October, 1892, 
in Manufacturers’ Hall, which contained an audience of more 
than thirty thousand people. The platform was crowded with 
dignitaries, and the parades and displays surpassed anything of 
the nature ever seen before in any country. The exposition was 
open from the 1st of May until the 1st of November, during which 
period the paid admissions numbered 21,530,854. The daily 
expenses were $22,405, the average daily receipts $89,501, 
and the total receipts $33,290,065.58. The net profits were 
more than half a million dollars. Visitors came from almost 
every quarter of the globe, and the display was well worth travel¬ 
ling round the world to see, for it is not likely that another simi¬ 
lar gathering of wonders will be witnessed for a hundred years 
to come. 

The Great Railway Strike of 1894.—A general unrest pre¬ 
vailed in the labor world at the opening of the year 1894. A 
dispute between the Pullman Palace Car Company, of Pullman, 
Illinois, and their employees, over the question of wages, in 
which the company refused all suggestions of arbitration, resulted 
in a strike on June 26. The danger caused the calling out of 
State and Federal troops, despite which the turbulence increased. 
Hundreds of cars were burned and many miles of railway tracks 
torn up. Those who attempted to take the places of the strikers 
were either persuaded or compelled to quit work. 

Leniency toward a mob always encourages it to acts of violence, 
and the soldiers were ordered to fire upon any persons assaulting 
trainmen or attacking trains. A savage collision took place at 
Hammond, Indiana, in which several were killed and wounded, 
and similar scenes followed elsewhere. 


424 


A Hr STORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



ARBITRATION 

General Master Workman Sovereign, on July io, called upon 
the Knights of Labor throughout the country to cease work and 
endeavor by peaceful means to force an amicable settlement of 
the quarrel. The order was disregarded in the East, but obeyed 
in Chicago and many points further west. Sympathetic strikes 
followed in North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyo¬ 
ming, and New Mexico. The Pullman Palace Car Company runs 
cars over three-fourths of the mileage of the United States, and 
the employees of many roads refused to handle their cars. Presi¬ 
dent Cleveland, July n, issued a proclamation ordering all per¬ 
sons engaged in the strike to disperse. 

The curse of all labor strikes is the violence which seems to be 
inevitable. The occasion is always seized by the vicious and 
criminal elements of society, who are eager for the chance to 
plunder, rob, and take human life. While the majority of strikers 
may be peaceably inclined, long-endured idleness and suffering 
rouse ugly passions, and shocking crimes are certain to follow. 
On July 17, Eugene V. Debs and the head officers of the Rail¬ 
way Union were arrested and imprisoned for refusing to obey the 







CLEVELAND'S SECOND ADMINISTRATION 425 

injunctions of court, and indictments were found against many 
others associated with them in directing the strike. 

At this time, when so many railroads were tied up, business 
paralyzed, and the country alarmed, the 
decisive action of the United States gov¬ 
ernment restored order and averted grave 
peril. Governor Altgeld, of Illinois, who 
pardoned the imprisoned anarchists en¬ 
gaged in the bomb-throwing of May, 

1886, angrily protested against the pres¬ 
ence of the United States troops in Chi¬ 
cago and was informed by President 
Cleveland that the troops were sent 
thither in strict conformity with the Con¬ 
stitution, since the mails were obstructed GENERAL NELSON A - M,LES 
and the ordinary means were unable to execute the processes of 
the Federal courts. 

On December 14, 1894, Debs was sentenced to six months’ 
imprisonment for contempt and the other leaders to three months 




GRAIN ELEVATOR, CHICAGO 







426 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


each. This action was taken without trial by jury and was con¬ 
demned in many quarters as an invasion of the inalienable rights 
of every American citizen. The final judgment of the supreme 
court is that employees have the legal right to combine to quit 
work in a body, but all violence is subject to penalty. 

The Hawaiian Imbroglio. — In the year 1849, a treaty of com¬ 
merce and for the extradition of criminals was concluded be¬ 
tween the United States and Hawaii, and in 1875 a reciprocity 
treaty. 

David Kalakaua was elected king in 1874, and on the same day 
British and American ships of war, at the request of the constitu¬ 
tional ruler, aided in quelling the Court-house riot. Kalakaua was 
an amiable and pleasure-loving monarch, but heartily devoted to 
the welfare of his people. Some American residents for their per¬ 
sonal gain conspired against the king and forced him to change the 
constitution. He died in 1891 at San Francisco, whither he had 
gone to recruit his failing health. His remains reached Honolulu 
January 29, 1891, and on the same day his sister Liliuokalani was 
proclaimed queen. 

She was firmly convinced that she understood her people better 
than any foreigner could, and that she should reign for them rather 
than for foreigners; but her hands were tied by the constitution 
and she was thwarted in her endeavors to grant a new one, which 
would withhold the right of suffrage from persofis unnaturalized 
and restore to her the right to appoint her own cabinet officers. 

This attempt by the queen to change the constitution greatly 
incensed the American conspirators and they secretly formed a 
committee who applied to the United States minister for aid, and 
a body of marines from the United States man-of-war Boston was 
landed on the island. This precipitated the revolt; the queen, 
knowing she could not contend with the United States troops, pro¬ 
tested without avail and was compelled to abdicate. 

Thus the republic was established by the aid of the United 
States minister and man-of-war. 

On February 14, 1893, an annexation treaty was formulated, 




CLEVELAND’S SECOND ADMINISTRATION 427 

providing for the cession to the United States, on certain condi¬ 
tions,' of all rights of sovereignty in the Hawaiian Islands. 

President Harrison favored the acquirement of Hawaii and 
was doing his utmost to bring it about, when he was succeeded 
by President Cleveland, who made a complete change of policy. 
He withdrew the treaty from the senate and sent Hon. James H. 
Blount to Hawaii as special commissioner. By his order the 
protectorate was terminated and the American garrison with¬ 
drawn. President Cleveland considered the existence of the 
new government as due to improper American influence and 
instituted a movement for the restoration of Queen Liliuokalani. 
It was necessary that he should have the consent of congress 
before using force, and, that being refused, he was powerless. 
There the matter rested until December, 1897, when the treaty 
was again brought up and discussed by the United States senate. 

The Venezuela Question.—A dispute had existed for a long 
time between Venezuela and Great Britain over their respective 
boundaries in the region of the Orinoco delta. Rich gold mines 
in the territory involved naturally made England strenuous in her 
claims, which were as strenuously opposed by Venezuela. The 
wrangle reached such a point in 1887, that diplomatic relations 
between the two countries were terminated. The United States 
viewed the quarrel with anxiety and made several suggestions of 
arbitration, which England stubbornly rejected. 

In 1840, Sir R. Schomburgk was commissioned by England to 
survey and define the limits of the colony. He traced the boundary 
known as the Schomburgk line, which has figured so prominently 
in the controversy since. Although Schomburgk’s proposals were 
never formally carried into effect, the line which he established 
was used as the basis of negotiations, England declaring in 1886 
that she would consider no Venezuelan claims east of the line, but 
would submit her claims west of the line to arbitration. 

On December 17, 1895, President Cleveland thrilled the coun¬ 
try by a special message to congress, in which he recommended 
the creation of a commission to determine and report upon “ the 


428 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


true divisional line between Venezuela and British Guiana,” add¬ 
ing that when such report should be made, it would, in his opin¬ 
ion, be the duty of the United States “to resist by every means 
in its power, as a wilful aggression upon its rights and inter¬ 
ests, the appropriation by Great Britain of any lands, or the 
exercise of governmental jurisdiction over any territory which, 
after investigation, we have determined of right belongs to 
Venezuela.” 

This bold declaration of the sacred Monroe doctrine “ struck 
fire ” in the American heart, and was enthusiastically supported 
by both houses of congress, which immediately provided for the 
commission, the members of which were announced January i, 
1896, and were: David J. Brewer, associate justice of the supreme 
court of the United States, elected president; Richard A. Alvey, 
chief justice of the court of appeals of the District of Columbia; 
Frederick R. Coudert, who was one of the counsel of the United 
States in the Behring Sea arbitration; Daniel C. Gilman, presi¬ 
dent of Johns Hopkins University. 

The news of the appointment of this commission caused aston¬ 
ishment and indignation in England, where it was insisted that 
the Monroe doctrine was not involved, and the action was an 
unwarrantable interference by a third power, not primarily con¬ 
cerned in the dispute. By and by, however, passion cooled on 
both sides, and England showed a disposition to consider the 
question calmly and fairly. 

The possibility of a war between the two greatest of English- 
speaking nations caused a throb of horror among thoughtful men 
on both sides of the Atlantic, and they made their sentiments felt 
in such unmistakable terms, that it soon became clear that the 
most awful calamity that could befall civilization and Christianity 
can never again blight the hopes of the world. The dispute was 
finally settled in a friendly spirit by the nations concerned, in 
which the claims of Venezuela received full consideration and 
justice. A treaty submitting the question to arbitration was 
signed February 2, 1897, by the British ambassador and the 



CLEVELAND'S SECOND ADMINLSTRATION 


429 


Venezuelan minister, in Washington, and the controversy, which 
had lasted nearly a century, was amicably closed. 

Admission of Utah. —Utah was admitted to the Union January 
4, 1896. It formed a part of the Mexican cession of 1848. 
When the Mormons emigrated thither, they found the country 
inhabited by the Ute or Utah Indians, whence the name of the 
Territory. In 1849, admission to the Union was demanded under 
the name of the State of “Deseret,” but was refused. A terri¬ 
torial government was organized in 1850, with Brigham Young 
as governor. In 1862, admission was again demanded and again 
refused, polygamy being the cause. Its final admission increased, 
July 4, 1896, the number of stars on our flag to forty-five, arranged 
as follows: 


******** 

* * * * * * * * 


Presidential Election of 1896. —The presidential election of 
this year was remarkable in many respects. There were eight 
tickets in the field, the order of nomination being as follows: 
Prohibitionist, at Pittsburg, May 27, Joshua Levering of Mary¬ 
land and Hale Johnson of Illinois; National party, at Pittsburg, 
May 28, offshoot of the regular Prohibitionists, Charles E. Bent¬ 
ley of Nebraska and James Haywood Southgate of North Carolina; 
Republican, at St. Louis, June 18, William McKinley of Ohio 
and Garret A. Hobart of New Jersey; Socialist Labor, in New 
York, July 4, Charles H. Matchett of New York and Matthew 
Maguire of New Jersey; Democratic, in Chicago, July 10 and 
11, William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska and Arthur Sewall of 



430 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Maine; Silverites, in St. Louis, July 24 and 25, William Jen¬ 
nings Bryan of Nebraska and Thomas E. Watson of Georgia; 
National Democratic party, in Indianapolis, September 3, John 
McAuley Palmer of Illinois and Simon Bolivar Buckner of 
Kentucky. 

The real struggle was between the Republican party, on the 
one hand, of which Mr. McKinley was the nominee, and the 
Democratic and Silverite organizations on the other, with Mr. 
Bryan as their candidate. The distinctive issue was the coinage 
question, that of the tariff drifting into the background. The 
Republicans were committed to the maintenance of gold as the 
single standard of monetary value, while those who supported 
Mr. Bryan favored the unlimited coinage of silver. Even among 
the ranks of the old parties there was no unanimity of views on 
this question. The East and older sections of our country were 
uncompromising in their demand for gold as the single standard, 
but many of the Republicans from beyond the Mississippi insisted 
upon the free coinage of silver. The differences were so irrecon¬ 
cilable that the silver men bolted the Republican convention in 
St. Louis and supported the Bryan ticket. 

The cause of the single gold standard, or “sound money,” 
steadily increased in strength, with the.result that in November 
the Republican candidates were successful by an electoral vote 
of two hundred and seventy-one against one hundred and seventy- 
six for Mr. Bryan, with a popular majority of about six hundred 
thousand in a total of more than thirteen millions. 

TOPICS.—The second inauguration of President Cleveland; the financial 
stringency of 1893; extra session of congress; repeal of the purchase clause 
of the Sherman bill; the World’s Columbian Exposition; the Columbian 
naval review; the Exposition in Chicago; Jackson Park; extent of the 
grounds; dedication of the structures; the Exposition itself; the admissions 
and receipts. 

The unrest in the labor world; the dispute between the Pullman Palace 
Car Company and its employees; the strike; scenes of violence; General 
Master Workman Sovereign; the curse of labor strikes; the arrest of Eugene 
V. Debs; President Cleveland’s action; arrest and punishment of Debs; the 



CLEVELAND'S SECOND A DMLNLS TRA TLO N 


431 


final judgment of the supreme court regarding strikes; the treaty made with 
Hawaii in 1849 and later; King David Kalakaua; Queen Liliuokalani; the 
occurrences in January, 1893; the request made to the United States; the 
annexation treaty; the policy of President Cleveland; the dispute between 
Great Britain and Venezuela; its extent in 1887; the Schomburgk line; Presi¬ 
dent Cleveland’s message of December 17, 1895; the response of congress; 
the commission appointed and their duties; the feeling in England; the pos¬ 
sibility of war between that country and our own; the conclusion of the mat¬ 
ter; the admission of Utah; its early history; the number of stars in the 
American flag; the presidential election of 1896; the different nominations; 
the real question at issue; the political situation in August and September; 
the result of the election. 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES. — William McKinley, twenty-fifth President, was 
born at Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, January 29, 1843. He entered Alle¬ 
gheny College at the age of sixteen, but was obliged to leave on account of ill 
health. When he recovered he supported himself by teaching school. He 
enlisted as a private soldier at the opening of the war, serving with great 
gallantry to the close, by which time he had attained the rank of major. 
When peace came he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1867. He 
was elected to congress in 1876 and served for seven terms. During his last 
term (1890) the famous protective measure bearing his name became law. 
During the same year he was elected governor of Ohio. His administration 
was so excellent and his popularity so great that they attracted national atten¬ 
tion and led to his nomination for the presidency in 1896. In every station to 
which this able and patriotic American has been called he has justified the 
confidence of his countrymen. 

William Jennings Bryan was born at Salem, Marion county, Illinois, 
March 19, i860. He entered Illinois College in Jacksonville, and was gradu¬ 
ated with honors in 1881. He adopted the profession of law, and removed to 
Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1887. He early developed marked oratorical powers, 
and became a popular political speaker. He was elected to congress in 1890 
on the Democratic ticket, and made his first great success on March 12, 1892, 
in his speech on free wool. Mr. Bryan was re-elected and became known as 
one of the ablest champions of free silver. He refused a renomination in 
1894 and strove to secure the United States senatorship, but the legislature 
was Republican and named his opponent. In the national canvass in the fall 
of 1896, Mr. McKinley remained at his home at Canton, Ohio, where he was 
continually called upon to address his almost innumerable visitors, while Mr. 
Bryan threw all his energies into the campaign, hurrying back and forth through 
the different States, displaying great ability, and doubtless making many thou¬ 
sand votes for his cause, though not enough to bring him victory. 


CHAPTER XLV 

McKinley’s administration. — 1897 - 



j|NAUGURATION of President McKinley. — 

William McKinley was inaugurated as Presi¬ 
dent on Thursday, March 4, 1897, in the pres¬ 
ence of an immense assemblage, and with the 
best wishes of the whole country. In his 
inaugural, he showed the need of changes in 
the fiscal laws, pledged himself to do his 
utmost to secure international bimetallism, to 
preserve the credit of the government, to enforce economy in 
every branch, to provide for more revenue, and he declared that 
the voice of the people was unmistakably for protection. He 
advocated the reciprocity principle in tariff legislation, the proper 
checks to immigration, civil service re¬ 
form, the building up of the merchant 
marine, a firm and dignified foreign 
policy, and strongly urged arbitration as 
the true method of settling international 
differences. 

Extra Session of Congress. — President 
McKinley selected an able Cabinet and 
called an extra session of congress for 
March 15. The purpose of this session 
was to provide a tariff measure for meet¬ 
ing the running expenses of the govern¬ 
ment, and paying the deficiency that had been accruing annually 
for several years past. After earnest debate and careful considera¬ 
tion such a bill was framed and enacted; the long continued busi- 

432 



WILLIAM McKINLEY 







MCKINLE Y'S ADMINISTRA TION 


433 



“Greater New York.” —The legislature of New York, in Feb¬ 
ruary, 1897, enacted a law by which “ Greater New York,” as it 
is popularly termed, was created. This law united under one 
government the former metropolis, Brooklyn, Long Island City, 
Jamaica, all Staten Island, the western end of Long Island, Coney 
Island, Rockaway, Valley Stream, Flushing, Whitestone, College 


STATUE OF LIBERTY, NEW YORK HARBOR 


ness depression gradually passed away; confidence was restored, 
and the great Republic resumed its career of prosperity, ad¬ 
vancement, and achievement which has made it the leading nation 
of the earth. 




434 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 



Point, Willets’ Point, Fort 
Schuyler, Throgg’s Neck, 
Westchester, Baychester, 
Pelham Manor, Van Cort¬ 
land t, Riverdale,and Spuy- 
ten Duyvel. 

The extreme length of 
this great city, from the 
southern end of Staten 


Island to the northern 
limits at Yonkers, is 
thirty-two miles, and 
its greatest width, 
from the Hudson 
River to the boun¬ 
dary line across Long 
Island,beyond Creed- 
moor, is sixteen 
miles. The area of 
the city is nearly 
three hundred and 
twenty square miles, 
and its population, 
on January i, 1898, 
when it began its official existence, was almost three and a half 
millions. Judge Robert A. Van Wyck, in the autumn of 1897, 
was elected the first mayor of “ Greater New York.” 

The Gold Fields of the Upper Yukon. — Great excitement was 
caused in the summer of 1897, by the reports of the discovery of 


CITY HALL PARK, NEW YORK 







MCKINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION 


435 



enormously rich deposits of gold in British Columbia. The most 
valuable discoveries were along the Klondike River, one of the 
tributaries of the Upper Yukon, but Alaska undoubtedly contains 
equally rich deposits. 

The reports at first were so wild that they were not credited, 


TRINITY CHURCH AND NEW YORK HARBOR 











436 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

but before long they were confirmed. The region named no doubt 
contains the most valuable deposits of gold that have yet been 
discovered in any part of the world. Thousands of people flocked 
thither, some by ascending the Yukon, which is closed by ice 
during two-thirds of the year, and others across the mountainous 
country from the south by way of Chilkoot Pass, various lakes and 
rapids to Dawson, on the Upper Yukon. 

There was much suffering in the mining districts during the 
winter of 1897-1898, owing to the scarcity of food and the difficulty 
of transporting supplies thither. The rush, however, was renewed 
as soon as weather permitted, and included large numbers from 
the other side of the Atlantic. Many million dollars in gold have 
been taken from this region, and untold treasures still lie in the 
soil, waiting to be gathered. The facilities for travel will soon be 
greatly improved, and the yield of the precious metal promises to 
be so vast that its commercial value throughout the world may be 
affected. 

Should the life of President McKinley be spared, it will be 
his privilege to conduct our country across the threshold of the 
twentieth century, and usher it into the period whose glory will 
surpass all that has gone before. No one can look upon the 
present and compare it with the past, without a glow of grati¬ 
tude that his lot has been cast in so favored a land, and that 
his is the proudest birthright of all — that of being an American. 

Our Growth. — The thirteen original States, scant in popula¬ 
tion, weak in resources, and sunken in debt and poverty, have 
expanded into forty-five States, rich and prosperous, with teem¬ 
ing cities and towns and flourishing rural communities, with 
boundless resources, with unconquerable enterprise and a future 
of promise such as no other nation has ever known or is likely to 
know. From the fringe of settlements along the Atlantic coast, 
with a background of millions of square miles of unknown moun¬ 
tain, prairie, and solitude, civilization has pressed westward to the 
Pacific, subduing the wilderness and the Indian tribes, develop- 


McKINLE Y ’ 5 AD MINIS TRA TION 


43 7 


ing the mineral wealth, making the virgin soil to yield its bounte¬ 
ous harvests, spanning the vast domain with railway and telegraph 
lines, and bringing the Old World and the New into close com¬ 
munication. Our territory has increased tenfold and the three 
million population has become more than seventy millions. This 
may reach one hundred millions by the opening of the twentieth 
century and a billion by its close. 

Natural Advantages.—So enormous in extent is our country 
and so fertile our soil, that the United States could live in com¬ 
fort if the rest of the world were blotted out. There is no pro¬ 
duction of the temperate or torrid zone which does not find here 
a congenial soil and favoring conditions. We raise not only 
enough wheat for our own people, but yearly send to other nations 
millions of bushels of the finest grain ever grown. The earth is 
an inexhaustible storehouse of coal, lead, iron, copper, oil, silver, 
gold, and all the metals and minerals useful to man. 

Material Advantages. — Natural advantages, measureless as they 
are, cannot of themselves make a people great. It is the mental 
energy, the bodily vigor, the enterprise, the ambition, the courage, 
the patriotism, the inventive faculty, the honesty, integrity, and 
God-fearing rule of life that lifts a nation to the highest plane 
of achievement and civilization. The labor-saving inventions 
keep pace with the growth of the population. The cotton gins, 
sewing machines, improved printing presses, sowing and reaping 
machines, the various appliances of steam power, with the astound¬ 
ing development of electrical energy — of which as yet we see 
only the beginning — have multiplied the ability of man a hun¬ 
dred thousand fold. Railway and telegraph lines penetrate every¬ 
where and bring the remotest corners of our country and of the 
earth into close communication, while the field of invention prom¬ 
ises results of so momentous importance that it is idle to specu¬ 
late upon them. 

No country expends so much money in the education of its 
youth. We have learned that the instruction of the young was 
among the first thoughts of the pioneers, and within twenty years 


438 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

of the settlement of New England, Harvard College was founded, 
while Virginia laid the foundations of a college in the very year 
of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, only to have it soon 
destroyed by Indians. Public libraries, schools, private institu¬ 
tions of learning, professional schools, colleges, and universities 
increase so rapidly that the statistics of to-day must be changed 
to-morrow. Thus in 1890, the public schools had a daily average 
attendance of 8,373,264, with 369,634 teachers; there were 430 
universities and colleges of liberal arts; 141 theological schools; 
fifty-two law schools and 115 medical schools, and yet additions 
to a greater or less degree have been made to all these. In 
literature, art, and science our country has kept pace with the 
other advances along the line. 

The Future. — If we are thus proud to compare the close of 
the nineteenth century with its opening, how will it be with those 
who come after us a hundred years from now? Will not they, 
too, look back and sympathize with those who did not live in 
those marvellous later days? Will they not pity our lack of wis¬ 
dom and achievement, despite the boastings in which we indulged, 
and will they not wonder why, when we had made so good a be¬ 
ginning in knowledge, we did not go nearer to the end ? 

The amazing discoveries of the last few years leave no doubt 
that we are on the edge of more astounding discoveries in the 
limitless field of invention and science. Who dare try to guess 
the extent to which electricity will be made to serve us? Can 
any one doubt that there are other elements in nature than those 
we now know, but of which we have caught shadowy glimpses, that 
shall bend to our wishes ? 

Our Responsibility. — Where much is given, much will be 
required. Blessing and prosperity bring their duty and their 
responsibility. From that responsibility none of us can escape. 
We should improve to the utmost the advantages given to us, 
for opportunities once lost are lost forever. Should our boys 
grow up to manhood, they must take an intelligent interest 
in everything that tends to elevate and improve those around 


McKINLE Y'S A DM IMIS TRA TION 


439 


them. They should study and understand all public questions, 
and vote as conscience and sound judgment direct. They should 
declare unrelenting enmity against dishonesty, immorality, and 
corruption, and do all in their power to crush them. 

Be no idler, but a worker in your Master’s vineyard. In all 
that you think and say and do, strive to earn the approval of 
Him to whom each of us must give an account; and who, if you 
do your duty, will welcome you with the blessed words : “ Well 
done, good and faithful servant.” 

TOPICS. —The inauguration of President McKinley; his inaugural; the 
views he expressed; extra session of congress; tariff measure; prosperity; 
“Greater New York”; its dimensions; its birth; its first mayor; the gold 
regions of the Upper Yukon; the Klondike district; rush thither; difficulties 
encountered; great richness of that country. 

The growth in the number of States; in resources; the expansion of 
territory; growth of population; the future increase; our wonderful advan¬ 
tages in soil and climatic conditions; the production of wheat; our mineral 
resources; that which makes a nation really great; the labor-saving in¬ 
ventions; railway and telegraph lines; the money expended in the education 
of youth; the first efforts in New England; in Virginia; the rapid increase of 
institutions of learning; public school statistics; literature, art, and science. 

Let the pupil make a careful attempt to compare his country as it will 
probably be a hundred years from now, with its present condition. Show the 
probable increase in population, the number of States, in territory, in discov¬ 
ery, invention, science, achievement, and indeed in every field in which the 
great American nation is sure to advance. 


440 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


SKELETON HISTORY 

Beginning with Part VI, give a list of the most important events that have 
occurred down to the present time. 


Date 

Event 

Christmas, 1865 

Universal amnesty declared 

March 23, 1868 

President Johnson impeached 

May 26, 1868 

President Johnson acquitted 












APPENDIX 


THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, ADOPTED 
BY CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776. 

A DECLARATION BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES 
OF AMERICA, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED. 

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people 
to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and 
to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to 
which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to 
the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which 
impel them to the separation. 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; 
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that 
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure 
these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers 
from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government 
becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or 
abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such 
principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most 
likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate 
that governments long established should not be changed for light and tran¬ 
sient causes; and, accordingly, all experience hath shown that mankind are 
more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by 
abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train 
of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a 
design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their 
duty, to throw off such a government, and to provide new guards for their 
future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and 
such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems 
of government. The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history 

441 


442 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establish¬ 
ment of an absolute tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be 
submitted to a candid world: — 

He has refused his assent to laws the most wholesome, and necessary for 
the public good. 

He has forbidden his governors' to pass laws of immediate and pressing 
importance, unless suspended in their operations, till his assent should be 
obtained; and, when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. 

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts 
of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in 
the legislature; a right inestimable to them, and formidable to tyrants only. 

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, 
and distant from the repository of their public records, for the sole purpose of 
fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. 

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly for opposing, with manly 
firmness, his invasions on the rights of the people. 

He has refused, for a long time after such dissolutions, to cause others to 
be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have 
returned to the people at large, for their exercise; the State remaining, in the 
mean time, exposed to all the dangers of invasions from without, and con¬ 
vulsions within. 

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that pur¬ 
pose, obstructing the laws for the naturalization of foreigners; refusing to 
pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions 
of new appropriations of lands. 

He has obstructed the administration of justice by refusing his assent to 
laws for establishing judiciary powers. 

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their 
offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. 

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers, 
to harass our people, and eat out their substance. 

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the con¬ 
sent of our legislature. 

He has affected to render the military independent of, and superior to, the 
civil power. 

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our 
constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws ; giving his assent to their acts 
of pretended legislation: — 

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us; 

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders 
which they should commit on the inhabitants of these States ; 


APPENDIX 


443 


For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world ; 

For imposing taxes on us without our consent; 

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury; 

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences; 

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, 
establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries, so 
as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same 
absolute rule into these Colonies; 

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and alter¬ 
ing, fundamentally, the powers of our governments ; 

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with 
power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. 

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection, 
and waging war against us. 

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and 
destroyed the lives of our people. 

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to com¬ 
plete the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circum¬ 
stances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, 
and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation. 

He has constrained our fellow-citizens, taken captive on the high seas, to 
bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends 
and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands. 

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to 
bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose 
known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes, and 
conditions. 

In every stage of these oppressions, we have petitioned for redress in the 
most humble terms; our repeated petitions have been answered only by 
repeated injury. A prince whose character is thus marked by every act which 
may define a tyrant is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. 

Nor have we been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have 
warned them, from time to time, of attempts by their legislature to extend an 
unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circum¬ 
stances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their 
native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them, by the ties of 
our common kindred, to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably 
interrupt our connections and correspondence. They, too, have been deaf to 
the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the 
necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest 
of mankind, enemies in war; in peace, friends. 


444 


A HISTORY of our country 


We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in 
general congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for 
the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the authority of the 
good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United 
Colonies are, and of right ought to be, Free and Independent States; that 
they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all politi¬ 
cal connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to 
be, totally dissolved; and that, as Free and Independent States, they have full 
power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, 
and do all other acts and things which Independent States may of right do. 
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection 
of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fort¬ 
unes, and our sacred honor. 

John Hancock. 

New Hampshire. — Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton. 

Massachusetts Bay. — Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, 
Elbridge Gerry. 

Rhode Island, etc. — Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery. 

Connecticut. — Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, 
Oliver Wolcott. 

New York. — William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis 
Morris. 

New Jersey. — Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, 
John Hart, Abraham Clark. 

Pennsylvania. — Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John 
Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George 
Ross. 

Delaware. — Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas M’Kean. 

Maryland. — Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll 
of Carrollton. 

Virginia. — George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benja¬ 
min Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton. 

North Carolina. — William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn. 

South Carolina. — Edward Rutledge, Thomas Hayward, Jr., Thomas 
Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton. 

Georgia. — Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, 






APPENDIX 


445 


CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. 

We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, 
establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defence] 
promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves 
and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United 
States of America. 

Article I. 

Section i. — All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a 
Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House 
of Representatives. 

Sect. 2. — The House of Representatives shall be composed of members 
chosen every second year by the people of the several States, and the electors 
in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most 
numerous branch of the State legislature. 

No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age 
of twenty-five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and 
who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall 
be chosen. 

Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several 
States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective 
numbers, which shall, be determined by adding to the whole number of free 
persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding 
Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons. The actual enumeration 
shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the 
United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner 
as they shall by law direct. The number of representatives shall not exceed 
one for every thirty thousand ; but each State shall have at least one repre¬ 
sentative ; and, until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New 
Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three, Massachusetts, eight, Rhode 
Island and Providence Plantations, one, Connecticut, five, New York, six, 
New Jersey, four, Pennsylvania, eight, Delaware, one, Maryland, six, Virginia, 
ten, North Carolina, five, South Carolina, five, and Georgia, three. 

When vacancies happen in the representation from any State, the executive 
authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies. 

The House of Representatives shall choose their speaker and other officers; 
and shall have the sole power of impeachment. 

Sect. 3.—The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two sena- 


446 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


tors from each State, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six years; and each 
senator shall have one vote. 

Immediately after they shall be assembled in consequence of the first elec¬ 
tion, they shall be divided, as equally as may be, into three classes. The seats 
of the senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second 
year, of the second class, at the expiration of the fourth year,, and of the third 
class, at the expiration of the sixth year, so that one-third may be chosen 
every second year ; and if vacancies happen, by resignation or otherwise, 
during the recess of the legislature of any State, the executive thereof may 
make temporary appointments until the next meeting of the legislature, which 
shall then fill such vacancies. 

No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained to the age of 
thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and who shall 
not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. 

The Vice-President of the United States shall be president of the Senate, 
but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided. 

The Senate shall choose their other officers, and also a president pro tempore , 
in the absence of the Vice-President, or when he shall exercise the office as 
President of the United States. 

The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When 
sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the 
President of the United States is tried, the chief justice shall preside; and no 
person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two-thirds of the mem¬ 
bers present. 

Judgment, in cases of impeachment, shall not extend further than to remo¬ 
val from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, 
trust, or profit under the United States; but the party convicted shall, never¬ 
theless, be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment, and punishment, 
according to law. 

Sect. 4. — The times, places, and manner of holding elections for senators 
and representatives shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; 
but the Congress may, at any time, by law, make or alter such regulations, 
except as to the places of choosing senators. 

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year; and such meeting 
shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a 
different day. 

Sect. 5. — Each house shall be the judge of the elections, returns, and qualifi¬ 
cations of its own members; and a majority of each shall constitute a quorum 
to do business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may 
be authorized to compel the attendance of absent members, in such manner 
and under such penalties as each house may provide. 


APPENDIX 


44 7 


Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its mem¬ 
bers for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds, expel a 
member. 

Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to 
time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require 
secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any 
question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on 
the journal. 

Neither house, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of 
the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that 
in which the two houses shall be sitting. 

Sect. 6. — The senators and representatives shall receive a compensation for 
their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the treasury of the 
United States. They shall, in all cases except treason, felony, and breach 
of the peace, be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session 
of their respective houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and, 
for any speech or debate in either house, they shall not be questioned in any 
other place. 

No senator or representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, 
be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which 
shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased, 
during such time; and no person holding any office under the United States 
shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office. 

Sect. 7. — All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Rep¬ 
resentatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments, as on 
other bills. 

Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the 
Senate shall, before it become a law, be presented to the President of the 
United States; if he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with 
his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter 
the objections at large on their journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If, after 
such reconsideration, two-thirds of that house shall agree to pass the bill,* 
it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it 
shall likewise be reconsidered, and, if approved by two-thirds of that house, it 
shall become a law. But, in all such cases, the votes of both houses shall be 
determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and 
against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If 
any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays ex¬ 
cepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law 
in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their adjournment 
prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law. 


448 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Every order, resolution, or vote, to which the concurrence of the Senate and 
House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjourn¬ 
ment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and, before the 
same shall take effect, shall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, 
shall be repassed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, 
according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill. 

Sect. 8. — The Congress shall have power : — 

To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and 
provide for the common defence and general welfare, of the United States ; 
but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United 
States: 

To borrow money on the credit of the United States: 

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several States, 
and with the Indian tribes: 

To establish an uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the sub¬ 
ject of bankruptcies throughout the United States: 

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the 
standard of weights and measures: 

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current 
coin of the United States: 

To establish post-offices and post-roads: 

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited 
times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings 
and discoveries. 

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court: 

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and 
offences against the law of nations: 

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules con¬ 
cerning captures on land and water: 

To raise and support armies ; but no appropriation of money to that use 
shall be for a longer term than two years: 

To provide and maintain a navy: 

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval 
forces: 

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, 
suppress insurrections, and repel invasions: 

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia, and for gov¬ 
erning such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United 
States, reserving to the States respectively, the appointment of the officers, 
and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline pre¬ 
scribed by Congress: 



APPENDIX 


449 


To exercise exclusive legislation, in all cases whatsoever, over such district 
(not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular States, and 
the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of government of the United 
States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent 
of the legislature of the State in which the same shall be, for the erection of 
forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings: —And, 

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into exe¬ 
cution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution 
in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer 
thereof. 

Sect. 9.—The migration or importation of such persons, as any of the 
States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the 
Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight ; but a tax, 
or duty, may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for 
each person. 

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless 
when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. 

No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed. 

No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to the 
census, or enumeration, hereinbefore directed to be taken. 

No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State. No prefer¬ 
ence shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports 
of one State over those of another ; nor shall vessels bound to or from one 
State be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties, in another. 

No money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appro¬ 
priations made by law ; and a regular statement and account of the receipts 
and expenditures of all public money shall be published from time to time. 

No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States ; and no person 
holding any office of profit or trust under them shall, without the consent of 
the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind 
whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state. 

Sect. 10. — No State shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation ; 
grant letters of marque and reprisal; coin money ; emit bills of credit; 
make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts ; pass 
any bill of attainder, ex post facto law', or law impairing the obligation of con¬ 
tracts ; or grant any title of nobility. 

No State shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any imposts or 
duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for ex¬ 
ecuting its inspection law's ; and the net produce of all duties and imposts 
laid by any State on imports or exports shall be for the use of the treasury of 
the United States ; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and con- 

2G 


450 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


trol of the Congress. No State shall, without the consent of Congress, lay 
any duty of tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into 
any agreement or compact with another State or with a foreign power, or en¬ 
gage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not 
admit of delay. 

Article II. 

Section i. —The executive power shall be vested in a President of the 
United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four 
years, and, together with the Vice-President, chosen for the same term, be 
elected as follows: — 

Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may 
direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and rep¬ 
resentatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress ; but no sena¬ 
tor or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the 
United States, shall be appointed an elector. 

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for two 
persons, of whom one, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State 
with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and 
of the number of votes for each ; which list they shall sign and certify, and 
transmit sealed to the .seat of the government of the United States, directed 
to the president of the Senate. The president of the Senate shall, in the 
presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certifi¬ 
cates ; and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest 
number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the 
whole number of electors appointed ; and if there be more than one who 
have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of 
Representatives shall immediately choose, by ballot, one of them for Presi¬ 
dent ; and if no person have a majority, then, from the five highest on the 
list, the said house shall, in like manner, choose the President. But, in 
choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States ; the representa¬ 
tion from each State having one vote ; a quorum for this purpose shall con¬ 
sist of a member or members from two-thirds of the States ; and a majority 
of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. In every case, after the 
choice of the President, the person having the greatest number of votes of 
the electors shall be the Vice-President. But, if there should remain two or 
more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them, by ballot, the 
Vice-President. 

The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the 
day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same 
throughout the United States. 



APPENDIX 


451 


No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States 
at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office 
of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not 
have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resi¬ 
dent within the United States. > 

In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resig¬ 
nation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the 
same shall devolve on the Vice-President; and the Congress may, by law, 
provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the 
President and Vice-President; declaring what officer shall then act as Presi¬ 
dent ; and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, 
or a President shall be elected. 

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation, 
which shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which 
he shall have been elected; and he shall not receive within that period any 
other emolument from the United States or any of them. 

Before he enter on the execution of his office, he shall take the following 
oath or affirmation : — 

“ I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of 
President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, 
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” 

Sect. 2.—The President shall be commander-in-chief of the army and 
navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several States, when called 
into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in 
writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any 
subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have power 
to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except 
in cases of impeachment. 

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to 
make treaties, provided two-thirds of the senators present concur; and he shall 
nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint, 
ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, 
and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein 
otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law: but the Con¬ 
gress may, by law, vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think 
proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of depart¬ 
ments. 

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen 
during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions, which shall expire 
at the end of their next session. 

Sect. 3. — He shall, from time to time, give to the Congress information 


452 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures 
as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, 
convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between 
them with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such 
time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public 
ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed; and shall 
commission all the officers of the United States. 

Sect. 4. —The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United 
States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of 
treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. 

Article III. 

Section i. —The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in 
one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from 
time to time ordain and establish. The judges, both of the supreme and 
inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior; and shall, at 
stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be 
diminished during their continuance in office. 

Sect. 2. — The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, 
arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties 
made, or which shall be made, under their authority; to all cases affecting 
ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls; to all cases of admiralty and 
maritime jurisdiction; to controversies to which the United States shall be a 
party; to controversies between two or more States, between a State and 
citizens of another State, between citizens of different States, between citizens 
of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and between 
a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign States, citizens, or subjects. 

In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, and 
those in which a State shall be a party, the Supreme Court shall have original 
jurisdiction. In all the other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall 
have appellate jurisdiction both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and 
under such regulations, as the Congress shall make. 

The trial of all crimes, except in cases of impeachment, shall be by jury; 
and such trial shall be held in the State where the said crimes shall have been 
committed; but, when not committed within any State, the trial shall be at 
such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed. 

Sect. 3. — Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying 
war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. 
No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two wit¬ 
nesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court. 

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no 


APPENDIX 453 

attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture, except during 
the life of the person attainted. 

Article IV. 

Section i. — Full faith and credit shall be given in each State to the public 
acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other State. And the Congress 
may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and 
proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof. 

Sect. 2. — The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all privileges and 
immunities of citizens in the several States. 

A person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other crime, who 
shall flee from justice, and be found in another State, shall, on demand of the 
executive authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be 
removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime. 

No person held to service or labor in one State under the laws thereof, 
escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, 
be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim 
of the party to whom such service or labor may be due. 

Sect. 3. — New States maybe admitted by the Congress into this Union; 
but no new State shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any 
other State; nor any State be formed by the junction of two or more States, 
or parts of States, without the consent of the legislature of the States con¬ 
cerned, as well as of the Congress. 

The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and 
regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United 
States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice 
any claims of the United States, or of any particular State. 

Sect. 4. — The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union 
a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against 
invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the 
legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence. 

Article V. 

The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, 
shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the 
legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for pro¬ 
posing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid, to all intents and 
purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three- 
fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one 
or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided, 
that no amendment, which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight 


454 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


hundred and eight, shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in 
the ninth section of the first article; and that no State, without its consent, 
shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate. 

Article VI. 

All debts contracted, and engagements entered into, before the adoption of 
this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Con¬ 
stitution, as under the Confederation. 

This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in 
pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the 
authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the 
judges in every State shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or 
laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding. 

The senators and representatives before mentioned, and the members of the 
several State legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the 
United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation 
to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a 
qualification to any office or public trust under the United States. 

Article VII. 

The ratification of the conventions of nine States shall be sufficient for the 
establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same. 

Done in Convention by the unanimous consent of the States present , the 

seventeenth day of September , in the year of our Lord one thousand seven 

hundred and eighty-seven , and of the Independence of the United States 

of America the tzvelfth. 

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names. 

George Washington, President , 

and deputy from Virginia. 

New Hampshire. — John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman. 

Massachusetts. —Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King. 

Connecticut. — William Samuel Johnson, Roger Sherman. 

New York. — Alexander Hamilton. 

New Jersey. — William Livingston, David Brearly, William Patterson, 
Jonathan Dayton. 

Pennsylvania. — Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robert Morris, 
George Clymer, Thomas Fitzsimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouver- 
neur Morris. 

Delaware. — George Read, Gunning Bedford, Jr., John Dickinson, 
Richard Bassett, Jacob Broom. 


APPENDIX 455 

Maryland. — James McHenry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel 
Carroll. 

Virginia. — John Blair, James Madison, Jr. * 

North Carolina. — William Blount, Richard Dobbs Spaight, Hugh 
Williamson. 

South Carolina. — John Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles 
Pinckney, Pierce Butler. 

Georgia. — William Few, Abraham Baldwin. 

Attest : William Jackson, Secretary. 


AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION. 

Article I. 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or 
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or 
of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to peti¬ 
tion the government for a redress of grievances. 

Article II. 

A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the 
right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. 

Article III. 

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the 
consent of the owner ; nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed 
by law. 

Article IV. 

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and 
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated ; and 
no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirma¬ 
tion, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or 
things to be seized. 

Article V. 

No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous 
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases 
arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia when in actual service in 
time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject, for the same 



456 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


offence, to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled, 
in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; nor be deprived of life, 
liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be 
taken for public use without just compensation. 

Article VI. 

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy 
and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the 
crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously 
ascertained by law; and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accu¬ 
sation ; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory 
process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of 
counsel for his defence. 

Article VII. 

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty 
dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved; and no fact tried by a 
jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States than 
according to the rules of the common law. 

Article VIII. 

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel 
and unusual punishments inflicted. 

Article IX. 

The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed 
to deny or disparage others retained by the people. 

Article X. 

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor 
prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the 
people. 

Article XI. 

The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to 
any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United 
States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign 
State. 

Article XII. 

The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for 
President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabi- 


APPENDIX 


45 7 


tant of the same State with themselves ; they shall name in their ballots the 
person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as 
Vice-President; and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as 
President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number 
of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed 
to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the president 
of the Senate ; the president of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate 
and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall 
then be counted : the person having the greatest number of votes for President 
shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of 
electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the per¬ 
sons having the highest numbers, not exceeding three on the list of those 
voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, 
by ballot, the President. But, in choosing the President, the votes shall be 
taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum 
for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the 
States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And 
if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President, whenever the 
right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next 
following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of 
the death or other constitutional disability of the President. 

The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President shall be 
the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of 
electors appointed ; and if no person have a majority, then from the two 
highest numbers on the list the Senate shall choose the Vice-President: a 
quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of 
senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. 

But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be 
eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States. 

Article XIII. 

Section I. —Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punish¬ 
ment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist 
within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. 

Sect. 2. — Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appropriate 
legislation. 

Article XIV. 

Section i. — All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and 
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the 
State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which 


458 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; 
nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due 
process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal pro¬ 
tection of the laws. 

Sect. 2. — Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States, 
according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons 
in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at 
any election for choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the 
United States, representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers 
of a State, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the 
male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age and citizens of 
the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion 
or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the 
proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole 
number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. 

Sect. 3. — No person shall be a senator, or representative in Congress, or 
elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, 
under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an 
oath as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a 
member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any 
State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in 
insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the 
enemies thereof: but Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, 
remove such disability. 

Sect. 4. —The validity of the public debt of the United States authorized by 
law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions, and bounties for ser¬ 
vices in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But 
neither the United States, nor any State, shall assume or pay any debt or 
obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the .United 
States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave ; but all such 
debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and void. 

Sect. 5. —The Congress shall have power to enforce by appropriate legis¬ 
lation the provisions of this Article. 

Article XV. 

Section i. —The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not 
be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any State, 'on account of 
race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 

Sect. 2. — The Congress shall have power to enforce this Article by appro¬ 
priate legislation. 


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LIST OF PRESIDENTS AND VICE-PRESIDENTS 































460 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF EVENTS. 


860-1011.. Discoveries by the Northmen. 1-4 

1492.Columbus discovered the New World, October 12. 14 

1497 .John Cabot discovered the continent of North America. 20 

1498 .Sebastian Cabot explored the Atlantic coast. 20 

Columbus discovered South America. .... 17 

1512 .Ponce de Leon discovered Florida, March 27. 25 

1513 .Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean, September 26. 24 

1524.Verrazani coasted North America. 28 

Narvaez explored a part of Florida.. 26 

1526.De Ayllon settled on the subsequent site of Jamestown, Vir¬ 
ginia... 26 

1528.De Narvaez landed in Florida. 26 

1534-1535. .Cartier ascended the St. Lawrence. 28 

1 539— 1 541. .De Soto wandered through the Southwest and discovered 

the Mississippi . 27 

1559.Ribaut planted a Huguenot colony at Port Royal.30-32 

1564 .Laudonniere planted a colony on the St. John’s which was 

destroyed by Spaniards.31-33 

1565 .St. Augustine, Florida, was founded by Menendez. 34 

1 576— 1 577- .Frobisher entered Baffin Bay in search of a northwest passage. 21 

1583.Sir Humphrey Gilbert was lost at sea. 21 

1584-1587. .Sir Walter Raleigh failed twice to plant a colony in Virginia. 21 

1602.Gosnold visited the New England coast...’. 22 

1605.De Monts and Champlain established a colony at Port Royal, 

Nova Scotia. 62 

1607.Jamestown, Virginia, was settled, May 13. 40 

1609.Captain Henry Hudson sailed up the Hudson River.53-54 

Virginia received its second charter, May 23. 43 

1609-1610. .Starving time in Virginia. 44 

1612 .Virginia received its third charter, March 22. 45 

1613 .New York settled by the Dutch. 53 

1614 .John Smith explored the New England coast. 62 

1619 .First colonial assembly in America met at Jamestown, July 30 47 

Slavery introduced at Jamestown. 47 

1620 .The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, December 

’ 21 . 65 


















































APPENDIX 


461 


PAGE 

1622.Indian massacre in Virginia, March 22. 48 

New Hampshire granted to Gorges and Mason. 72 

1628.Settlement made near Salem, Massachusetts. 68 

1630.First house built in Boston, July. 68 

1634 .Maryland settled at St. Mary’s. 92 

1633-1636. .Connecticut settled at Windsor, Hartford, and Weathersfield. 69 

1635 .Clayborne’s rebellion in Maryland. 92-93 

1636 .Rhode Island settled at Providence, June. 69 

Destruction of the Pequot Indians, May 25. 69 

Harvard College founded. 71 

1638 .Delaware settled near Wilmington by Swedes, April. 90 

1639 .First printing-press in America set up at Harvard College ... 71 

1641.New Hampshire united to Massachusetts.. 72 

1644.Second Indian massacre in Virginia, April 18. 48 

Charter granted to Rhode Island. 72 

1652-1653. .Maine added to Massachusetts. 72 

1655.Civil war in Maryland. 94 

New Sweden conquered by the Dutch. 91 

1660.Navigation Act enforced. 78 

1663 .Albemarle colony founded. 94 

1664 .New Netherland conquered by the English and named New 

York, August 29. 58 

1665 .New Jersey settled at Elizabethtown . 84 

1670.South Carolina settled on the Ashley River. 95 

1672.New York recaptured by the Dutch. 59 

1674.New York ceded to the English .. 59 

1675-1676. .King Philip’s war.74—78 

1676.Bacon’s rebellion.50-51 

New Jersey divided into East and West Jersey, July 1. 86 

1680..Charleston, South Carolina, founded . 95 

1681 .Philadelphia laid out by Penn’s commissioners. 88 

1682 .Pennsylvania settled. 88 

1684.Massachusetts made a royal province. 78 

1686.Andros arrived in Boston as governor of New England. 78 

1689-1697. - King William’s war.79-80 

Andros deposed. 60 

1692.Salem witchcraft delusion.80-81 

1701.Delaware separated from Pennsylvania. 90 

1702-1713. .Queen Anne’s war. 81 

1710.Port Royal, Nova Scotia, captured by English and named 

Annapolis. 81 


































































462 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


1732 .George Washington born, February 22. 103 

1733 .Georgia settled by Oglethorpe at Savannah, February 12 .... 96 

1744-1748.. King George’s war. 83 

1745.Loulsburg captured by the English, June 17. 83 

1754 .Battle of Great Meadows.105 

Convention of the colonies held at Albany, New York.105 

1755 .Expulsion of Acadians. 108 

Braddock’s massacre, July 9.107 

1758 .Louisburg taken by Amherst and Wolfe, July 27.111 

1759 .Ticonderoga and Crown Point abandoned by the French .... ill 

Capture of Quebec, September 18.112 

1760 .Montreal surrendered, September 8.112 

1763.French and Indian war ended by treaty of Paris.112 

Conspiracy of Pontiac. 113 

1765 .Passage of the Stamp Act, March 8.124 

1766 .Stamp Act repealed, March 18.125 

1770.Boston massacre, March 5.125 

1773 .Boston tea party, December 16.126 

1774 .. Boston port bill passed, March 31.127 

First continental congress met at Philadelphia, September 5.127 

1775 .Battle of Lexington, April 19.128-130 

Ticonderoga captured by Allen and Arnold, May 10.131 

Second continental congress met at Philadelphia, May 10... . 131 

Crown Point captured, May 12.131 

Washington elected commander-in-chief, June 15.132 

Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17.133 

Washington took command at Boston, July 3.135 

Montreal surrendered to Montgomery, November 13..135 

Battle before Quebec, Montgomery killed, December 31.136 

1776 .Boston evacuated by the British, March 17. .141 

Attack on Fort Moultrie, June 28.143 

Declaration of Independence, July 4.145 

Americans defeated on Long Island, August 27.146 

Battle of White Plains, October 28.147 

Fort Washington captured by the enemy, November 16.148 

Washington’s retreat through New Jersey. .148 

Battle of Trenton, December 26.150-151 

1777 .Battle at the Assunpink bridge, Trenton, January 2.155 

Battle of Princeton, January 3.156 

Battle of Bennington, August 16.157 

Battle of Brandywine, September 11. .160 























































APPENDIX 


4 63 


1 777 .Philadelphia captured by the British, September 26.160 

Battle of Germantown, October 4.160 

Surrender of Burgoyne, October 17. .... 158 

1778 .France acknowledged American Independence, February 6. .167 

Battle of Monmouth, June 28.... .169 

Massacre at Wyoming, July 3.171 

Capture of Savannah, December 29.172 

1779 .Stony Point captured by Wayne, July 16.177 

Defeat of Indians by Sullivan, near Elmira, August 29.177 

Paul Jones’s great naval victory, September 23.178 

Failure of the American and French attack on Savannah, 
October 9.176 

1780 .Charleston captured by the enemy, May 12.183 

Battle of Camden, August 16.186 

Treason of Benedict Arnold..187-191 

Andre executed, October 2.190 

Battle of King’s Mountain, October 7.186 

1781 .Richmond burned by Arnold, January 5.197 

Battle of the Cowpens, January 17.194 

Battle of Guilford Court House, March 15. 194 

Battle of Eutaw Springs, September 8.195 

Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19.200 

1782 .Charleston, South Carolina, evacuated, December 14.203 

1783 .Savannah evacuated, July 11 . 203 

Treaty of peace signed at Paris, September 3.203 

New York evacuated, November 25.203 

Washington resigned his commission, December 23.204 

1787 .Shays’s rebellion in Massachusetts. 209 

Constitution of the United States adopted, September 17 ... .210 

1788 .Constitution ratified by nine states.210 

1789 .Washington inaugurated at New York, April 30.213 

1791 .Vermont admitted to the Union, March 4.218 

1792 .Kentucky admitted to the Union, June 1.218 

1794 .Western Indians defeated by Wayne, August 20.216 

Whiskey rebellion. .217 

1795 .Jay’s treaty ratified, June 24.217 

1796 .Tennessee admitted to the Union, June 1.. . .218 

1799 .Washington died, December 14.223 

1800 .National capital removed to Washington.223 

1801-1805. .War with Tripoli.228 

1803.Ohio admitted to the Union, February 19 227 

























































464 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


PAGE 


1803 

1804 

1807 

1811 

1812 


I8l 3 


l8l4 


1815 


1816 

1817 

1818 

1819 


Louisiana purchased from France, April 30.227 

The frigate Philadelphia destroyed by Decatur, February 15... 230 

Hamilton killed by Burr in a duel, July 11.219 

Chesapeake and Leopard affair, June 22.231 

Fulton’s Clermont ascends the Hudson.231 

Action between the President and Little Belt , May 16.235 

Battle of Tippecanoe, November 7.236 

Louisiana admitted to the Union, April 30.236 

War declared against England, June 19.236 

Hull invaded Canada, July 12 ..238 

Mackinaw surrendered, July 17...238 

Hull surrendered Detroit, August 16.238 

Guerriere captured by the Constitution, August 19.240 

Battle of Queenstown Heights, October 13.239 

Wasp captured the Frolic , October 13.242 

Battle of Frenchtown, January 22.245 

Capture of York, Canada, April 27. .244 

Attack on Sackett’s harbor, May 29. .244 

Chesapeake, captured by the Shannon , June 1.246 

Defence of Fort Stephenson, Ohio, August 2.246 

Indian massacre at Fort Mimms, August 30..251 

Perry’s victory on Lake Erie, September 10... 249 

Battle of the Thames, October 5.250 

Battle of Chrysler’s Field, November n.. .245 

Battle of Horseshoe Bend, March 27. 252 

Battle of Chippewa, July 5.252 

Battle of Lundy’s Lane, July 25.252 

Washington captured by the British, August .254 

Battle of Plattsburg and Lake Champlain, September 11. .. 253 

Bombardment of Fort McHenry, September 13.254 

Treaty of peace signed at Ghent, December 24. .... 254 

Battle of New Oileans, January 8.255 

Capture of the Cyane and Levant, by the Constitution, 

February 20.255 

War with Algiers.256 

Indiana admitted to the Union, December 11.256 

Mississippi admitted to the Union, December 10.263 

Illinois admitted to the Union, December 3 .263 

Alabama admitted to the Union, December 14.264 

The Savannah the first steamer to cross the Atlantic.262 

Florida purchased of Spain, February 22.263 




















































APPENDIX 


465 


1820.. 

1821.. 
1824.. 
1825. . 
1826.. 

1829.. 
1832.. 

1835 .. 
I836. . 

1837 .. 

1841.. 

1842.. 

1844.. 

1845.. 

1846.. 


I847 


1848 


I85O 

1854 

1858 

1859 

1 860 

1861 


PAGE 

. Missouri Compromise passed, March 3.264 

Maine admitted to the Union, March 15.264 

.Missouri admitted to the Union, August 10.265 

.Visit of Lafayette .265 

. Erie Canal completed.267 

.John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died, July 4.220 

First railway in this country built...267 

. First steam locomotive in this country put in service.267 

.Nullification in South Carolina.272 

. Dade’s massacre by Seminoles, December 28 .....274 

.Arkansas admitted to the Union, June 15.275 

.Michigan admitted to the Union, January 26. 275 

.Death of President Harrison, April 4.284 

. Dorr’s rebellion in Rhode Island.286 

. First public telegram sent, May 29.289 

.Florida admitted to the Union, March 3. .289 

Texas admitted to the Union, December 29..289 

. Battle of Palo Alto, May 8. 293 

Battle of Resaca de la Palma, May 9.293 

Monterey captured, September 24. 294 

Iowa admitted to the Union, December 28.289 

.Battle of Buena Vista, February 23.294 

Vera Cruz captured, March 29.295 

Battle of Cerro Gordo, April 18.295 

Battle of Contreras, August 20.295 

Capture of Chapultepec, September 13.295 

City of Mexico surrendered, September 14.296 

.Treaty of peace with Mexico signed, February 2.296 

Gold discovered in California, February.297 

Wisconsin admitted to the Union, May 29.297 

.Death of President Taylor, July 9.300 

California admitted to the Union, September 9.300 

.Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, May 31.303 

.Minnesota admitted to the Union, May 11.,.311 

.Oregon admitted to the Union, February 14.311 

John Brown’s raid, October.310 

. South Carolina passed an ordinance of secession, December 20 312 

. Star of the West steamer fired on, January 9.314 

Kansas admitted to the Union, January 29.312 

Southern Confederacy formed at Montgomery, Alabama, 
February 9.312 


2 H 
































































4 66 A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

PAGE 

1861 .Bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 12, 13 ..320 

Massachusetts troops attacked in Baltimore, April 19 ...... .321 

Battle of Big Bethel, Virginia, June 10.323 

Battle of Bull Run, July 21.323 

Battle of Wilson’s Creek, August 10.325 

Forts at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina, captured, August 29.325 

Battle of Lexington, Missouri, September 20.325 

Battle of Ball’s Bluff, October 21. .325 

Port Royal, South Carolina, taken, November 7.325 

Seizure of Mason and Slidell on the steamer Trent , Novem¬ 
ber 8.328 

1862 .Fort Henry, Tennessee, captured, February 6.329 

Roanoke Island, North Carolina, taken, February 8.339 

Fort Don.elson, Tennessee, captured, February 16.330 

Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, March 7, 8.331 

Fight between the Monitor and Merrimac , March 9 .... 336-338 

Newbern, North Carolina, taken, March 14.339 

Battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, April 6, 7 .331 

Island No. 10 captured, April 7.332 

Capture of New Orleans, April 25.339 

Beaufort, North Carolina, taken, April 25.339 

Occupation of York town, Virginia, May 4.340 

Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia, May 5.340 

Norfolk, Virginia, surrendered, May 10 .333 

Corinth, Mississippi, taken, May 30.332 

Memphis, Tennessee, surrendered, June 6.332 

Second battle of Bull Run, or Manassas, August 29, 30.342 

Harper’s Ferry surrendered, September 15.342 

Battle of Antietam, Maryland, September 17.342 

Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, October 4.332 

Battle of Perryville, Kentucky, October 8.332 

Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 13.343 

Battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, December 31, January 2, 

1863.333 

1863 .Emancipation proclamation, January 1.344 

Fort Sumter attacked by the Union fleet, April 7.. .350 

Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, May 2, 3.351—352 

Admission of West Virginia, June 19 .... .366 

Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 1-3 .352-356 

Vicksburg surrendered, July 4.350 

Port Hudson captured, July 8.350 








































APPENDIX 


1863. 


1864 


1865 


1866 

1867 


1868 

1869 

1871 

1872 


467 

PAGE 

.Fort Wagner taken, September 7.350 

Battle of Chickamauga, Georgia, September 19, 20 .345 

Battle of Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 24, 25.345 

Siege of Knoxville raised, December 4.348 

.Grant made lieutenant general, March 2.358 

Battles in the Wilderness, Virginia, May 5-30.361 

Battle of Newmarket, Virginia, May 15.362 

Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 3 ..361 

Alabama sunk by the Kearsarge, June 19.365 

Battle of Monocacy, Maryland, July 9. ..362 

Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, burned, July 30 ...362 

Mine explosion before Petersburg, Virginia, July 30.361 

Farragut forced an entrance to Mobile Bay, August 5.364 

Atlanta, Georgia, taken, September 2.359 

Battle of Winchester, Virginia, September 19.362 

Battle of Fisher’s Hill, Virginia, September 22.362 

Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia, October 19.362 

Nevada admitted to the Union, October 31.366 

Battle of Nashville, Tennessee, December 15, 16.359 

Savannah, Georgia, captured by Sherman, December 20. .. .360 

.Fort Fisher, North Carolina, captured, January 15.364 

Columbia, South Carolina, taken, February 17.368 

Charleston, South Carolina, captured, February 18.368 

Battle of Averysboro and Bentonville, North Carolina, March 

15-18.368 

Attack on Fort Steadman, Virginia, March 25.369 

Battle of Five Forks, Virginia, April 1.369 

Petersburg and Richmond taken, April 2, 3.369 

Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia, April 9. 372 

President Lincoln assassinated, April 14.373 

Johnston’s army surrendered, April 26. ....374 

Jefferson Davis captured, May 10.375 

Fenian invasion of Canada.390 

Maximilian shot in Mexico, June 19.391 

Purchase of Alaska.390 

Nebraska admitted to the Union, March 1.391 

Impeachment and acquittal of President Johnson.389 

General amnesty proclaimed. 389 

Completion of the overland railway, May 10.392 

Great Chicago fire, October 8..393 

Great fire in Boston, November 9, 10-;.394 

















































4 68 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


PAGE 


1872 .San Juan boundary dispute settled. 

1873 .Modocs killed General Canby and Dr. Thomas, April 11. 

1876 .Centennial exposition at Philadelphia, May 10 to November 10.. 

Massacre of Custer and his command, June 25. 

Colorado admitted to the Union, August 1.. 

1877 .Numerous railway strikes. 

1879 .Resumption of specie payments, January 1. 

1880 .Greely arctic expedition.. 

1881 .President Garfield assassinated, July 2. 

Yorktown centennial, October 18-20. 

Anti-Chinese immigration law passed. 

1884..Return of the Greely relief expedition, August 8. 

1885 .Death of General Grant, July 23. 

Conquest of the Apaches. . 

Numerous labor strikes. 

1886 .Anarchistic riot in Chicago, May 4. 

Charleston earthquake, August, September. 

1888 .Death .of General Sheridan, August 5.. 

1889 .Johnstown, Penn., flood, May 31. 

North and South Dakota admitted to the Union, November 3.. 
Montana admitted to the Union, November 8. 


1890-1891. .Indian uprising 


Idaho admitted to the Union, July 3. 

Wyoming admitted to the Union, July 11. 

1891.Threatened war with Chile.. 

Death of General Sherman, February 14. 

1893.Columbian naval review, April 27. 

Columbian exposition at Chicago, May 1 to November 1 

1895.Venezuelan boundary question, December 17. 

Utah admitted to the Union, January 4. 

1897...Venezuelan boundary dispute settled, February 2. 

Valuable gold discoveries on the Upper Yukon. 

1898.“Greater New York” began its official existence.. 


395 

398 

400 

400 

395 

403 

403 

407 

406 

407 

407 

409 

378 

412 

411 

411 

411 

380 

414 

418 

419 

416 

419 

419 

4i5 

380 

422 

422 

427 

429 

429 

434 

434 
















































APPENDIX 


469 


REFERENCE READINGS 


Period I. — Young Folks’ Series (edited by T. W. Higginson), No. 1. The 
Legends of the Northmen, Columbus and his Companions; No. 2. Cabot and 
Verrazano, The Strange Voyage of Cabaza and De Vaca; No. 3. The French 
in Canada, Adventures of De Soto ; No. 4. The French in Florida, Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert; Bradford’s American Antiquities; Irving’s Columbus; 
Parkman’s Pioneers of France; Help’s Spanish Conquest of America; Pres¬ 
cott’s Ferdinand and Isabella; Shea’s Discovery and Exploration of the Mis¬ 
sissippi Valley; Towle’s Heroes of History (Raleigh). 

Period II. — Young Folk’s Series (edited by T. W. Higginson) No. 5. The 
. Lost Colonies of Virginia, Unsuccessful New England Settlements; No. 6. Cap¬ 
tain John Smith, Champlain on the War Path; No. 7. Henry Hudson and the 
New Netherlands; No. 8. The Pilgrims at Plymouth, The Massachusetts Bay 
Colony; Parkman’s Conspiracy of .Pontiac; Elliott’s History of New England; 
Hall’s Puritans and their Principles; Watson’s The Great Peacemaker (Penn); 
Parkman’s Montcalm and Wolfe; Coffin’s Old Times in the Colonies. 

Period III. — Maclay’s History of the American Navy; Lossing’s Field 
Book of the Revolution; The Swamp Fox (Rough and Ready Series); Hale’s 
George Washington; Hosmer’s Samuel Adams; Irving’s Life of Washington; 
Johnson’s Old French War; Johnston’s Shorter History of the United States; 
Lossing’s Mary and Martha Washington; McMaster’s History of the United 
States; Monroe’s Story of Our Country; Schouler’s History of the United 
States; Sparks’s American Biography; Watson’s Boston Tea Party, Noble 
Deeds of Our Fathers, The Friend of George Washington (Lafayette) ; Wirt’s 
Life of Patrick Henry; Parton’s Life of Benjamin Franklin; Ellett’s Domestic 
History of the American Revolution; Harvey’s Reminiscences of Daniel 
Webster. 

Period IV. — Preble’s History of the Flag of the United States; Von 
Holst’s Constitutional History of the United States, John C. Calhoun; Wright’s 
Children’s Stories of American Progress; Lossing’s Field Book of the War of 
1812; Rough and Ready Series (Zachary Taylor, Andrew Jackson, The Mill 
Boy of the Slashes, The Great Expounder) ; Tucker’s Life of Jefferson. 

Period V.—Blaisdell’s Stories of the Civil War; Cable’s The Negro 
Question; Cooke’s Life of General R. E. Lee; Drake’s Battle of Gettysburg; 
Grant’s Personal Memoirs; Greeley’s American Conflict; Nichols’s Story of the 
Great March; Randolph’s Life of Stonewall Jackson; Sheridan’s Memoirs; 
Soley’s Sailor Boys of ’61; Sherman’s Memoirs; J. E. Johnston’s Narrative of 
Military Operations; Davis’s Rise and Fall of the Confederate States of 


470 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


America; The Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Century Magazine, 
Vol. 29; Nicolay and Hay’s Life of Abraham Lincoln. 

Period VI. — McMaster’s History of the People of the United States; 
Roosevelt’s Winning of the West; Andrews’s History of the last Twenty-Five 
Years (1865-1890); Appleton’s Cyclopaedia of American Biography; John¬ 
ston’s American Politics; Grady’s New South; The Presidents of the United 
States (edited by James Grant Wilson); Lalor’s Cyclopaedia of Political 
Science, Political Economy, and Political History of the United States; Macy’s 
Our Government; Nordhoffs Politics for Young Americans; Winsor’s Narra¬ 
tive and Critical History of the United States. 


INDEX 


Acadians, expulsion of, 108. 

Adams, John, 210, 217, 220, 221-224. 
Adams, John Quincy, 266, 267-269. 
Adams, Samuel, 127, 138. 

Advantages, material, natural, 437. 
Alabama, admission of, 264. 

Alabama , the, 350, 364. 

“Alabama Claims,” settled, 394. 

Alamo, attack on, 288. 

Alaska, purchase of, 390. 

Albany, 54, 55. 

Albemarle , the, 366. 

Alexandria, seizure of, 322. 

Algiers, war with, 256. 

Alien and sedition laws, 222, 226. 

Allen, Ethan, 131. 

Americus Vespuccius, 19. 

Amnesty proclamation, 389. 

Anderson, Major Robert, 313, 375. 
Andre, capture and execution of, 189-190. 
Andros, Edmund, 59, 60, 78, 79. 
Antietam, battle of, 342. 

Anti-rent difficulties, 286. 

Apaches, 412. 

Appomattox, surrender of Lee at, 372. 
Archdale, John, 95. 

Arkansas, admission of, 275. 

Arlington Heights, seizure of, 322. 
Arnold, Benedict, 131, 135, 136, 157, 187- 
191, 197. 

Arthur, Chester A., 404, 405-409. 

Articles of Confederation, 162, 207. 
Assunpink bridge, battle at, 155. 

Atlanta, capture of, 359. 

Atlantic cable, 310, 391. 

Averysboro, battle at, 368. 

Ayllon, De, 25, 26. 


Bacon’s rebellion, 49-51. 

Bailey, Colonel Joseph, 363, 375. 
Bainbridge,. Captain William, 228, 229, 

233. 2 42. 

Baker, Colonel E. D., 325. 

Balboa, Vasco Nunez de, 23, 24. 

Ball’s Bluff, battle at, 325. 

Baltimore, Lord, 92-94. 

Bank of North America organized, 197. 
Banks, N. P., 341, 363,375. 

Beaufort, capture of, 339. 

Beauregard, P. G. T., 319, 330, 331, 332, 
3 6i » 3 Si - 

Bennington, battle of, 157. 

Bentonville, battle of, 368. 

Berkeley, Governor, 49-51. 

Bermuda Hundred, battle at, 361. 

Bible Society, American, 262. 

Big Bethel, skirmish at, 323. 

Blockade, the, 329. 

Boone, Daniel, 218. 

Boston, 62; massacre, 125; tea party, 
126; evacuation of, 141; great fire, 
394 - 

Boundary, northeast, 285; northwest, 
296. 

Braddock’s massacre, 106, 107. 

Bradford, Governor, 66, 67. 

Bragg, Braxton, 332, 333, 344, 345, 382. 
Brandywine, battle of, 160. 

Brown College, 124. 

Brown, Jacob, 244, 252, 253, 259. 

Brown, John, 310. 

Bryan, W. J., 429, 430, 431. 

Buchanan, James, 305, 308, 309-315. 
Buell, D. C., 331, 332. 

Buena Vista, battle of, 294. 




472 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Bull Run, first battle of, 323 ; second of, 
342 . 

Bunker Hill, battle of, 132-135. 
Burgesses, housS of, 47. 

Burgoyne, 156-158, 165. 

Burnside, A. E., 343, 348, 376. 

Burr, Aaron, 224, 225. 

Butler, B. F., 323, 339, 361, 376. 

Cabot, John, 20. 

Cabot, Sebastian, 20. 

Calhoun, J. C., 269, 272, 278, 288. 
California, 295, 300. 

Calvert, Governor, 92. 

Camby, E. R. S., 398, 401. 

Camden, battle of, 186. 

Carleton, Sir Guy, 136, 140, 203. 

Carolina, South, secession of, 312. 
Carolina University, 262. 

Carolinas, colonial history of, 94, 95. 
Carpet bag rule, 393. 

Carteret, George, 86. 

Carteret, James, 85. 

Carteret, Sir Philip, 84. 

Cartier, 28, 30. 

Carver, Governor, 64, 66. 

Centennial, American Independence, 
400. 

Cerro Gordo, battle of, 295. 
Chambersburg, burning of, 362. 
Champlain, Samuel de, 62. 
Chancellorsville, battle of, 352. 
Chapultepec, capture of, 295. 

Charleston, 95, 143, 183, 203, 350, 368, 
4x1. 

Charter Oak, 78, 79. 

Chattanooga, 344. 

Chesapeake and Leopard , 231. 

Chesapeake and Shannon , 246. 

Chicago, 393, 411, 421. 

Chickamauga, battle of, 345. 

Chile, 415. 

China, discoverers of America, 5. 
Chinese immigration forbidden, 407. 
Chippewa, battle of, 252. 

Chrysler’s Field, battle of, 245. 
Churubusco, battle of, 295. 

Civil service reform, 409. 

Clarendon, Lord; 94. 

Clarke, Major George Rogers, 172, 175. 


Clay, Henry, 261, 272, 273, 279, 299. 
Clayborne’s rebellion, 93. 

Clermont , the, 231. 

Cleveland, Grover, 409, 410, 411, 412, 
420-430. 

Clinton, Sir Henry, 146, 153, 170. 

Clinton, Governor George, 232, 242. 
Colby University, 262. 

Cold Harbor, battle of, 361. 

Colonies, home life in, 115; strength of, 
123. 

Colorado, admission of, 395. 

Columbia, S. C., 368. 

Columbia College, 124. 

Columbian exposition, 421. 

Columbian naval review, 421. 

Columbus, Christopher, 7-18. 
Confederacy, southern, formed, 314; de¬ 
stroyed, 374. 

Confederate cruisers, 325, 350, 364. 
Congress, first colonial, 125; first con¬ 
tinental, 127; first constitutional, 213. 
Connecticut, 69. 

Constitution, adoption of, 210. 
Constitution and Guerriere, 240. 
Continental money, 182, 207. 

Contreras, battle of, 295. 

Corinth, battle of, 332. 

Cornwallis, Lord, 148, 149, 151, 155,156, 
164, 185, 186, 193, 194, 198-200. 
Cowpens, battle of, 192, 193. 

Crown Point, capture of, 131. 
Cumberland , loss of, 334. 

Curtis, Samuel R., 331, 376. 

Cushing, W. B., 366, 377. 

Custer, G. A., 372, 377, 398. 

Dade’s massacre, 274. 

Dakota, North and South, admission of, 
418. 

Dare, Virginia, 21. 

Dartmouth College, 124. 

Davis, Jefferson, 198, 205,370, 374, 382. 
Deane, Silas, 163, 166. 

Dearborn, Henry, 244, 258. 

Decatur, Stephen, 229, 233, 242, 248. 
Deerfield, burning of, 81. 

De Kalb, Baron, 186. 

Delaware, colonial history of, 90, 91. 

De Leon, Ponce, 26. 



INDEX 


4 73 


De Luna, 28. 

Democratic party, 272. 

De Monts, 62. 

De Narvaez, 26, 

De Soto, 27, 28. 

D’Estaing, 176. 

Detroit, 113, 238. 

Dieskau, 109. 

Dinwiddie, Governor, 102. 
Donelson, Fort, capture of, 330. 
Dorr’s rebellion, 286. 

Doubleday, Abner, 319, 377. 
Douglas, S. A., 303, 306, 312. 
Downie, Commodore, 253. 

Dred Scott decision, 309. 

Du Pont, S. F., 350. 

Duquesne, Fort, 105, 109. 

Dutch manners and customs, 119. 

Early, Jubal A., 362, 382. 
Education, 437. 

Edward, Fort, massacre at, 109. 
Elizabeth, settlement of, 84. 
Ellsworth, E. E., 323. 
Emancipation proclamation, 344. 
Embargo Act, 232. 

Ericsson, John, 336, 377. 

Eric the Red, 2. 

Erie Canal, 267. 

Eutaw Springs, battle at, 195. 
Ewell, R. S., 341, 372, 382. 

Farragut, D. G„ 339, 364, 377. 
Federalists, 214. 

Fenians, 389. 

Ferdinand of Spain, 10, 18. 
Ferguson, Patrick, 183. 

Field, Cyrus W., 311. 

Fillmore, Millard, 300. 

Fisher, Fort, capture of, 364. 
Fisher’s Hill, battle at, 362. 

Fishery award, 404. 

Fitch, John, 231, 233, 

Five Forks, battle of, 369. 

Florida, admission of, 289. 

Florida , the, 365. 

Foote, A. H., 329, 332, 377. 
Fortune , the, 67. 

France, New, 62. 

France, treaty with, 167. 


Franklin, Benjamin, 106, 123, 138, 144, 
163, 169. 

Frazer’s Farm, battle at, 342. 
Fredericksburg, battle of, 343. 

Fremont, J. C., 305, 307, 325, 341. 

French explorations, 28-34. 

Frenchtown, massacre at, 245. 

Frobisher, Martin, 21. 

Fugitive Slave Law, 300. 

Fulton, Robert, 231, 234. 

Future, the, 438. 

Gage, Thomas, 127-130, 132, 138. 

Gaines’ Mill, battle at, 341. 

Galveston, capture by Confederates, 350. 
Garfield, James A., 404, 405, 406. 

Gates, Horatio, 132, 157,158, 164, 185. 
Genet, “ Citizen,” 217, 220. 

Georgia, colonial history of, 95-98, 176. 
Georgia, University of, 261. 

Georgia , the, 365. 

Germantown, battle of, 352-356. . 
Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, 21. 

Gillmore, Q. A., 350, 377. 

Gist, Christopher, 104, 105. 

Goffe, the regicide, 76. 

Gold discovered in California, 296. 
Gorges, Sir Fernando, 72. 

Gosnold, Bartholomew, 22. 

Grant, Ulysses S., 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 
345 . 347 . 348 , 350 . 358 , 360, 368, 369, 
370 , 37 2 - 377 . 392-401. 

“ Greater New York," 433. 

Greeley, Horace, 395, 401. 

Greely, Lieutenant, A. W., 407, 410. 
Greene, Nathanael, 186, 192, 193, 194, 
203. 

Guilford Court House, battle at, 194. 


Hadley, 76. 

Hale, Captain Nathan, 146, 147,153. 
Halleck, H. W., 332, 378. 

Hamilton, Alexander, 214, 215, 219, 222. 
Hamilton College, 262. 

Hancock, W. S., 404, 405. 

Hanover Court House, battle at, 340. 
Harmar, J., 216. 

Harper’s Ferry, 310, 341, 342. 

Harrison, Benjamin, 412, 413-419. 
Harrison’s Landing, 342. 



474 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Harrison, W. H., 236, 244, 245, 250, 277, 
284. 

Hartford founded, 69. 

Harvard College founded, 71. 

Hatteras Inlet, captured, 325. 

Hawaiian imbroglio, 426. 

Hayes, R. B., 400, 402, 403-405. 

Henry, Fort, capture of, 329. 

Henry, Patrick, 127, 139. 

Henry, prince of Portugal, 8. 

Herkimer, Nicholas, 157. 

Hessians, 146, 149, 150,157. 

Hood, John B., 359. 

Hooker, Joseph, 340, 345, 346, 351, 378. 
Horry, Peter, 183, 192. 

Horseshoe Bend, battle at, 252. 

Houston, Sam., 288, 290. 

Howe, Richard, Earl, 152. 

Howe, William, 141, 146, 152,159, 160. 
Hudson, Captain Henry, 53, 54. 
Huguenots, the, 30, 37. 

Hull, Isaac, 241, 258. 

Hull, William, 238. 

Hunter, David, 325, 362. 

Idaho-, admission of, 419. 

Illinois, admission of, 263. 

Independence, Declaration of, 145. 

India Company, West, 53. 

Indiana, admission of, 256. 

Indians, trouble with, 215, 250, 251, 416. 
Introduction, 5. 

Iowa, admission of, 289. 

Isabella, queen of Spain, 10, 18. 

Island No. 10, capture of, 332. 

Jackson, Andrew, 263, 266, 269, 271- 
277. 

Jackson, T. J. (Stonewall), 340, 341, 
342 . 352 . 

Jamestown founded, 40. 

Jasper, Sergeant, 143,176. 

Jay, chief justice, John, 214, 217, 219. 
Jefferson, Thomas, 144, 214. 218, 224, 
226-234. 

Jersey, East and West, 86. 

John, king of Portugal, 8. 

Johnson, Andrew, 367, 378, 387-391. 
Johnson, Sir William, 109. 

Johnston, Albert Sidney, 290, 331. 


Johnston, Joseph E., 323, 340, 348, 358, 

368, 383- 

Johnstown flood, 413. 

Joint electoral commission, 401. 

Jones, Paul, 178, 179,181. 

Kansas, civil war in, 302; admission of, 

3 11 - 

Kearny, Stephen W., 294, 298. 

Kearsarge and Alabama, 364. 

Kenesaw Mountain, battle at, 359. 
Kentucky, admission of, 218. 

Key, Francis S., 254. 

Kieft, Governor, 90. 

King’s Mountain, battle of, 186. 

Knox, Henry, 203, 205, 214. 

Knoxville, siege of, 348. 

Kosciusko, 167, 173. 

Lafayette, Marquis de, 167, 173, 197, 198, 
265. 

Lake Champlain, battle of, 253. 

Lake Erie, battle of, 249. 

Laudonniere, 31, 32, 33. 

Lawrence, Captain James, 246. 

Lee, Arthur, 163, 165. 

Lee, Charles, 149, 169, 170, 174. 

Lee, Henry (‘‘Light Horse Harry”), 
192, 204, 223, 236. 

Lee, Richard Henry, 127, 139. 

Lee, Robert E., 310, 341, 342, 352, 356, 
358 , 3 6i » 369. 370 . 383- 
Leisler, execution of, 61. 

Leon, Ponce de, 24. 

Leopard, the, Chesapeake, 231. 

Lewis and Clarke expedition, 227. 
Lexington, Mass., battle of, 128. 
Lexington, Mo., battle of, 325. 

Lief the Lucky, 2. 

Lincoln, Abraham, 312, 314,315,317-387. 
Lincoln, Benjamin, 176, 181, 183, 202. 
Little Belt, the, President , 235. 
Livingston, R. R., 144, 153. 

Long Island, battle of, 146. 

Longstreet, James, 345, 348, 361, 384. 
Lookout Mountain, battle of, 347. 

“ Lost Colony,” the, 22. 

Louisburg, capture of, 83, hi. 

Louisiana, purchase of, 227; admission 
of, 236. 



INDEX 


475 


Lundy’s Lane, battle of, 252. 

Lyon, Nathaniel, 325, 

MacDonough, Commodore Thomas, 253. 
Madoc, 5. 

Madison, James, 232-256. 

Madison University, 262. 

Magruder, J. B., 384. 

Maine, 72, 264, 

Malden, defeat at, 245. 

Malvern Hill, battle of, 342. 

Manassas, battles of, 323, 342. 
Manhattan, 55. 

Marion, Francis, 183, 185, 192. 

Marshall, John, 221, 225. 

Maryland, colonial history of, 92-94. 
Mason, James S., 384. 

Massachusetts, 64, 78. 

Massachusetts Bay Colony, 68. 
Matamoras, battle of, 294. 

Maximilian in Mexico, 391. 

May, Captain, 55. 

Afayjlower, the, 63, 64, 65, 67. 

McClellan, George B., 324, 339, 340, 341, 
342 , 3 6 7 . 378 . 

McDowell, Irvin, 323, 340, 379. 
McKinley, William, 429, 430, 431, 432- 
439 - 

Meade, George G., 352, 360, 379, 391. 
Mechanicsville, battle of, 341. 

Meigs, Fort, siege of, 345. 

Memphis, surrender of, 332. 

Menendez, 31-34. 

Mercer, Hugh, 156, 164. 

Merrimac and Monitor , 333-338. 

Mexico, war with, 292-297. 

Michigan, admission of, 275. 

Mimms, Fort, massacre at, 250. 

Mine explosion at Petersburg, 361. 
Minnesota, admission of, 311. 

Mint established at Philadelphia, 215. 
Missionary Ridge, battle of, 347. 
Mississippi, admission of, 263. 

Mississippi River, discovery of, 27. 
Missouri, admission of, 265. 

Missouri Compromise, 264, 303. 

Mobile, 364. 

Modoc Indians, 396. 

Molly Pitcher, 170, 174. 

Monetary panics, 265, 281, 421. 


Monitor , the, 333. 

Monmouth, battle of, 169. 

Monroe Doctrine, 265. 

Monroe, James, 151, 256, 260, 261-266. 
Mons, De, 62. 

Montana, admission of, 419. 

Montcalm, Marquis de, 109, in, 112. 
Monterey, capture of, 294. 

Montgomery, Richard, 135, 136. 
Montreal, surrender of, 112. 

Morgan, Daniel, 194. 

Mormons, the, 287. 

Morris, Robert, 152, 197, 199, 204. 

Morse, S. F. B., 289, 291. 

Murfreesboro, battle of, 333, 344. 

Naddod, 1. 

Narragansetts, the, 67, 68, 69. 

Nashville, battle of, 359. 

Navigation Act, 78. 

Nebraska, admission of, 391. 

Nelson, Governor Thomas, 199, 206. 
Nevada, admission of, 366. 

New Amsterdam, 57. 

New Anstel, 91. 

Newark, settlement of, 85. 

Newburn, capture of, 339. 

New England, colonial history of, 62-83. 
New Hampshire, settlement of, 7* 

New Jersey, colonial history of, 84-87. 
New Netherland, 56-59. 

New Orleans, 255, 339, 414. 

Newport, Christopher, 39, 40, 43. 
Newspapers, the first, 82. 

New York, the colonial history of, 53-62. 
New York city, 59, 203. 

Nicholson, Francis, 59, 60. 

North, Lord, 202, 205. 

Northmen, the, 1-4. 

Northwestern territory, 211. 

Nullification, 272. 

Oglethorpe, James Edward, 95-98. 

Ohio, admission of, 227. 

Ohio Company, 101. 

Ohio University, 262. 

Omnibus Bill, 299. 

Orange, Fort, 56. 

Oregon, admission of, 311. 

Osceola, 273, 274, 275. 




476 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Pacific Ocean, discovery of, 24. 

Palo Alto, battle of, 293. 

Paoli massacre, 160. 

Parke, William, 52. 

Patroons, the, 57. 

Pea Ridge, battle of, 331. 

Penn, William, 86, 90. 

Pennsylvania, colonial history of, 88-90. 
Popham colony, 38. 

Popular sovereignty, 306. 

Porter, D. D., 248, 333, 363, 379. 

Porter, Fitz John, 340, 379. 

Port Hudson, surrender of, 350. 

Port Royal entrance, capture of, 325. 
Powhatan, 42, 43, 45. 

Prescott, William, 132, 134, 140. 
Presidential succession, 411. 

Price, Sterling, 325, 332, 384. 

Princeton, battle of, 154, 155. 

Princeton College, 124. 

Printing-press, the first in America, 71. 
Printz, Governor, 91. 

Providence plantations, the, 72. 

Pulaski, Count, 167, 173, 176. 

Puritans, the, 63. 

Putnam, Israel, 146, 153. 

Quakers, the, 74. 

Quebec, siege of, 135, 136. 

Queenstown Heights, battle of, 239. 

Railroads, history of, 267. 

Railway strikes, 403, 423. 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, 21. 

Rail, Johan G., 150, 151, 154. 

Randolph, Edmund, 214, 219. 
Reconstruction, 388, 392. 

Red River expedition, 363. 

Republican party, 305. 

Republicans, 214. 

Resaca de la Palma, battle of, 293. 
Responsibility, our, 438. 

Resumption of specie payments, 403. 
Revere, Paul, 128, 140. 

Revolution, causes of, 124. 

Rhode Island, 73, 74. 

Ribaut, John, 30, 31, 32. 

Richmond, 339, 370. 

Roanoke Island, capture of, 339. 
Rochambeau, Comte de, 198, 205. 


Rosecrans, W. S., 332, 333, 344, 345, 380. 
Rutgers College, 124. 

Sabine Cross Roads, battle of, 363. 
Sackett’s harbor, attack on, 244. 
Samoset, 65, 66. 

San Jacinto, battle of, 288. 

San Juan boundary, 395. 

Savage’s station, battle at, 342. 

Savannah, 96, 172, 360. 

Savannah , first steamer to cross the 
Atlantic, 262. 

Savings banks, 262. 

Schofield, John M., 359, 368, 380. 
Schuyler, Fort, 157. 

Scott, Winfield, 240, 252, 273, 275, 293, 
294, 295, 296, 302, 319. 

Sedgwick, John, 380. 

Seminoles, 262, 273. 

Semmes, Raphael, 350, 384. 

Seven Days’ Battles, 341. 

Shackamaxon, treaty of, 88. 

Shays’s insurrection, 209. 

Sheridan, Philip, 362, 369, 380. 

Sherman, Roger, 144, 152. 

Sherman, W. T., 333. 348, 359, 360, 368, 
380. 

Sherman Bill, the, 420. 

Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 
33 1 * 

Sigel, Franz, 362, 398. 

Slavery, 47, 299, 317, 344. 

SJidell, John, 385. 

Sloughter, Governor, 60, 61. 

Smith, Edmund Kirby, 323, 385. 

Smith, John, 40-43, 62. 

South Mountain, battle of, 342. 

Spanish explorations, 23-28. 

Speedwell , the, 63, 64. 

Stamp Act, the, 124. 

Standish, Myles, 64, 67, 68. 

Stark, John, 157, 165. 

Star-Spangled Banner, birth of, 155 ; 
song of, 254. 

“ Starving time ” in Virginia, 44. 
Steadman, Fort, attacked, 369. 

Stephens, Alexander, 385. 

Stephenson, Fort, defence of, 245. 

St. Augustine founded, 34. 

St. Clair, Arthur, 216, 220. 




INDEX 


4 77 


St. Leger, 157, 165. 

Steuben, Baron, 167, 173. 

Stirling, Lord (William Alexander), 153. 
Stockton, R. F., 287, 295, 298. 

Stony Point, capture of, 177. 

Stuart, J. E. B., 341, 361, 385. 

Stuyvesant, 57, 58, 59, 91. 

Sullivan, John, 146, 171, 174, 177. 
Sumner, Charles, 305, 306. 

Sumter, Thomas, 183, 191. 

Sumter, Fort, 313, 319. 

Swansea, 74. 

Taney, Roger B., 272, 278. 

Tariff, 215, 268. 

Tarleton, Lieutenant Colonel, 183, 191, 

193 - 

Taylor, Zachary, 275, 292, 294, 297, 298, 
300. 

Taylor, Dick, 363, 385. 

Tea, tax on, 125. 

Tecumseh, 250, 259. 

Telegram, the first, 289. 

Telegraph, the magnetic, 289. 

Tennessee, admission of, 218. 

Terry, Alfred, 364, 381, 398. 

Texas, 288, 289. 

Thames, battle of the, 250. 

Thomas, George H., 333, 345, 347, 359, 
381. 

Thorvald, 3. 

Ticonderoga, 131, 157. 

Tilden, Samuel J., 400. 

Tippecanoe, battle of, 236. 

Travel, early methods of, 117. 

Trent, affair of the, 325. 

Trenton, battle of, 149-151. 

Tripoli, war with, 227-230. 

Tyler, John, 284-290. 

Union Humane Society, 262. 

United Colonies of New England, 72. 
United States Bank, 265, 271, 272. 

Utah, admission of, 429. 

Valley Forge, 163. 

Van Buren, Martin, 277, 280, 281-283. 
Van Dorn, Earl, 331, 332, 385. 

Van Twiller, Wouter, 57. 

Venezuelan question, 427. 


Vera Cruz, capture of, 295. 

Verhult, William, 56. 

Vermont, admission of, 218. 

Verrazani, 28. 

Vicksburg, 333, 348. 

Virginia, colonial history of, 36-52. 
Virginia University, 262. 

Wagner, Fort, capture of, 350. 

Walloons, the, 56. 

War, Civil, 317-375; 1812, 236-256; 

French and Indian, 100-118; King 
George’s, 83; King Philip’s, 74-78; 
King William’s, 79-80; Mexican, 292- 
297; Pontiac’s, 113; Queen Anne’s, 
81; Revolution, 123-207; Seminole, 
262-273. 

Ward, Artemus, 132, 140. 

Warren, Joseph, 135, 140. 

Washington, George, 103, 104, 105, 132, 
135 . I 49 -I 5 L I 55 . ! 5 6 . 162, i 6 3 . i6 9 . 
176, 198, 199, 200, 203, 208, 210-218, 
223. 

Washington city, 223, 253. 

Washington College, 261. 

Washington, Fort, 147. 

Wayne, Anthony, 160, 165, 177, 196, 203, 
2x6. 

Webster, Daniel, 272, 279, 285. 

Welcome, the, 88. 

Wesley, John and Charles, 97. 

West Point Military Academy estab¬ 
lished, 226. 

West Virginia, admission of, 366. 

Whigs, 272. 

Whiskey rebellion, 216. 

Whitefield, George, 97. 

White Plains, battle of, 147. 

Wilderness, battle of, 361. 

Wilkes, Charles, 325, 381. 

Wilkinson, James, 244, 245, 259. 

Willard, Emma, 262. 

William and Mary College, 124. 
Williams, Roger, 68, 72. 

Winslow, John A., 364, 381. 

Winthrop, John, the younger, 69. 
Wisconsin, admission of, 297. 
Witchcraft, Salem, 80, 81. 

Wolfe, James, 111, 112. 

Wool, John E., 294, 298. 



478 


A HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 


Worden, John L., 381. 

Worth, W. J., 275, 294, 298. 
Wounded Knee Creek, battle of, 418. 
Wyoming, massacre of, 171. 
Wyoming, admission of, 419. 


Yale College, 124. 

York, capture of, 244. 

Yorktown, 340, 407. 

Young, Brigham, 287, 290, 429. 
Yukon, gold fields of Upper, 434. 
































































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